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Tag: DPP

  • Man bags life jail for armed robbery

    A lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday sentenced a 27-year-old man, Olayinka Ayeni, to life imprisonment for armed robbery.

    Ayeni was accused of robbing Modupeola Iromini and assaulting her while attempting to snatch her handbag in Meiran, a Lagos suburb.

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts.

    The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) charged Ayeni with armed robbery. He was arraigned on June 27, 2012.

    Ayeni pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The prosecutor, Mr Femi Adamson, told the court that Ayeni committed the offence on March 14, 2011 at 10.30 p.m, at 40, Kola Oretuga Street, Iyana Bus Stop, Meiran, Lagos.

    Adamson said Ayeni trailed Iromini from the bus stop and assaulted her with a sharp weapon while attempting to snatch her handbag.

    According to him, the victim shouted for help and was rescued by some persons who apprehended Ayeni and handed him over to the police.

    He said Iromini was taken to Niki Hospital in Meiran.

    Adamson said the offence contravened Section 403 (2) (a) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

    In her judgment, Justice Okunnu said the testimonies of the victim and her father were credible, adding that they “properly” identified the accused.

    According to her, the evidence before the court showed that Ayeni was armed with a dangerous weapon while attempting to snatch the handbag.

    Justice Okunnu said the sentence would begin from June 27, 2012 when Ayeni was arraigned for the offence.

  • Akoko community killing: OPC leaders, monarch have no case to answer, says DPP

    The controversy over the murder of Igbekele Oyeleye in 2009, by unknown persons in Arigidi-Akoko, in Akoko North West Local Government Area, Ondo State, over chieftaincy tussle still lingers on.

    There was a public outcry recently by some aggrieved indigenes, calling on the government to probe Oyeleye’s killing whose corpse is still in the mortuary at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where it was deposited five-years ago.

    However, the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP), of the Ministry of Justice has entered a ‘no case’ submission against the three accused.

    The accused according to a petition by one Mallam Gani Ashiru, to the Commissioner of Police are the National Coordinator of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, who is an indigene of the town, his personal assistant, Mr. Segun Akanni, and Arigidi’s monarch, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, the Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko.

    Speaking during a protest by some members of Arigidi community at the Governor’s office, Akure, the spokesman of the group, Mr. Amos Ogunleye, said many residents of the community now live in fear over alleged attack on some of them by supporters of the embattled monarch.

    He appealed to the state government to release the White Paper on the report submitted by a commission of inquiry set up to look into the crisis in Arigidi community in 2011.

    However, the OPC coordinator, Adams, has cautioned that those who are fond of accusing him and Oba Olanipekun of killing Oyeleye should stop such accusation or face prosecution since the DPP has already entered a ‘no case’ submission on the case.

    According to the legal advice sent to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ‘D’ Department by the DPP and signed on behalf of the state Attorney-General by a senior legal officer in the Ministry of Justice, J. M. Itiola, the petitioner has no credible evidence linking the suspects to the alleged killing.

    The legal advice conclude thus; “In view of the above, I have so many unresolved doubts in my minds considering the gap in the period of years between the incidences and the fact that several other names were mentioned in connection with the incidence, who were never arrested or interrogated.

    “I am of the view that the issue is premised on malice and to this end, I humbly suggest that the uninve-stigated and unresolved doubts should be resolved in favour of the suspects, while the statements of the purported eyewitness, Mrs. Beatrice is considered an afterthought.

    “I therefore humbly advice that all the suspects in this case, i. e. pages B1-Oba Olanipekun, B2-Otunba Gani Adams and B3-Segun Akanni, be let off the hook for lack of credible evidence.”

  • ‘Confab without referendum is meaningless’

    ‘Confab without referendum is meaningless’

    Chief Great Ogboru was the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) governorship candidate in Delta State in 2011. He spoke with reporters in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on the proposed national conference and the tasks before the delegates. LEKE AKEREDOLU was there.

    The Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), is no longer active. Are you planning to defect to another political party?

    Discussions, consultations and talks towards merging are on for now. What I have always told the press is that we don’t join political parties; we are a political party, the Democratic People’s Party. And, if we are going to do anything, it will be done as a party. So, if as we expect in the no distant future, our party will take a decision, it will be to merge with some other political parties. Certainly, not defection not as you put it. Not that I as a person will defect to another party. That will never happen.

    But your younger brother, Julius, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party last year. Is this not a setback for you?

    The issue of Julius, my brother, is not an issue at all. It has been given attention in the press, but it is really no issue because, from our place, we have leaders and we have followers. We have families and we have friends and kinsmen. I am not sure that the decision he took is popular, not in the immediate community and not in the wider community. So, to that extent, his moving to the PDP is not a big blow at all. His joining the PDP is a question of choice. Having said that, I will conclude that it was a very unpopular decisionwhen it was taken, how it was taken and the activities he continues to propagate.

    Are you in Akure to hold talks with the governor of Ondo State on the possibility of joining the Labour Party?

    We are looking at optional alternatives where the interest of people of Delta State in the DPP will be best protected. Yes, we are discussing with the Labour Party. It is a very good option and we are looking at it very closely.

    What is your position on the proposed national conference?

    It depends on those who are pro or against the conference. Those who are against it believe that nothing good will come out of it and it will end up like a talk shop. My own view on that issue is that, nevertheless, we have to talk. I am not sure that the mood of the country today would permit a talk shop for the sake of it. I want to believe that, whatever agenda setting will be put in place, restricting the parameters of the conference may not necessarily hold water because from the agitations, so far, from the ethnic nationalities, some opinion leaders, the tendency is that people want to get to the roots of the problems that bedevil this country from the time of the amalgamation till today and they believe that we have to do it in such a way that it ends up on the table of the people of this country. It must go beyond what we have today as a national assembly. It must go for a referendum and let the people decide their fate once and for all. And, if you want to look at it, why are we talking in the first place? If we are satisfied with what we have today, there is no need for the conference. If there is a conference in the first place, knowing that we have a National Assembly in place, it shows that something is lacking, which is beyond the capacity and capability of the National Assembly. If that is the case, it goes to the root cause of our ethnic nationalities, who we are, where we are and how we got to where we are today, which is to say that such a conference, whatever the outcome, cannot be restricted again to that National Assembly, which by the convocation of this conference, have been proven to be unable to handle the issues. Therefore, the people must decide through referendum.

    You are an Uhrobo leader. Are you working with others to present a common agenda at the conference?

    If you say I am an Uhrobo leader, that will be restricting my person to an ethnic nationality. I do not speak for an ethnic nationality. I speak about the Nigerian state as we have met it or as we inherited it and we are looking for a solution for the so-called nationality question. And I think that is what the national conference is all about. The nationality issue, how do we address it?

    Do you subscribe to the idea that there must be no-go areas at the conference?

    There should be nothing like no-go areas. No-go areas presuppose that there should be no conference at all. If there is a conference, the outcome cannot be determined. I want to believe that those fears being nursed by some Nigerians are uncalled for. The fear of no-go area is to imagine that there are some persons coming to the table of brotherhood to ask for the country to be disintegrated. That is not going to happen. I want to believe that 99 per cent of this country believes so much in this country. They have lived together for the past 100 years under one nation called Nigeria. Therefore, they have acquired mutual understanding, mutual benefits, mutual tolerance and they have lived together for over 100 years. So, the basis for discussing our unity, which was absent in 1914, is actually there today because we have mutual understanding. We are interdependent. So, what is going to affect the Northern part of the country is mostly to affect the Southern part of this country. To that extent, we have to look for a solution that will make us unite. The philosophical underpinning for that kind of union has to be defined from the conference. What are those areas we have found in the past that make it impossible for our union to work effectively, to have that cohesion, to make us have strong and a virile nation? What are those things lacking? I believe that these are things that should be discussed at the conference. It is also possible that we have fears that are misplaced. In that type of conference where all issues are inclusive, no restrictions. Everybody can come there and say whatever they want to say. At the end of the day, Nigeria will better off for it.

    I will ask all of you here, you are all educated people, you come from different parts of this country, if I were to ask you today, how did your ethnic nationality come into Nigeria? With all your education and exposure, you will be looking at me. All you can say is that Lord Lugard amalgamated us in 1914. Where are the amalgamation documents? What are the conditions for that amalgamation? What are the limits of that amalgamation? We cannot be living under a treaty or a union that is not defined. Those are the things we have to discuss. Forget about the fears of disintegration. That is not going to happen. But, we have to build a lasting legacy for generations to come. I am very sure the President of our country doesn’t have a copy of the treaty and we call ourselves a nation. There is no document that has replaced that Lugardian treaty that is not right. And then, the constitution that you have in place talks about the Nigerian people and they did not participate in giving our nation a constitution. It was given to us by the military. These are the issues that the conference must talk about. We as educated Nigerians, with our experiences, now after 100 years of living as one nation, it does not matter the imperfection of that existence.

    The fact that we are realize that now we are mutually vulnerable and interdependent means we are ready to look at the hundred years that we have lived together and the shortcomings to have a direction for the future, a working arrangement for the future, an arrangement that can lead to a better Nigeria, that is what this conference should be about. Where there is peace, there will be prosperity, there will be security of lives and I am very sure that we will be having a better environment, a more prosperous nation, a healthier nation and a better country. That is what the conference should be about, nothing short.

     

     

    are thing that should be in place, if you can make a tribunal a fact finding tribunal, you did not even need 90 or 70 days to understand the truth.

    Do you have confidence in Jega in conducting a free and fair election?

    Nobody is perfect, we all learn from our mistakes. We will see what he will do in Ekiti and Osun States and then we take a final swipe at him. But if he fails in the two places, we will not allow that he should conduct an election in 2015 and we must stop him because that will be one mistake too many. We are excusing him for Anambra, we are excusing him for the senatorial election that was conducted in Delta State but to have one more excuse for him means we he should pack and go.

  • Driver docked over Mimiko deputy’s crash

    THE driver of the ill-fated vehicle that crashed into the convoy of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Akeem Bakare, has been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Idanre, Idanre local government area of the state.

    The 30- year-old driver of the Obamuare of Ife Titun in Osun State, Oba Taofeek Olaposi, was charged with reckless and dangerous driving.

    Bakare reportedly drove the Toyota Camry saloon car with plate number ‘OBAMUARE OF IFETUNTUN’ belonging to the monarch, which rammed into the convoy of the deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, and other vehicles.

    The incident, which occurred on February 1 near Aponmu village along Akure-Ondo road, led to the death of the entire family members of the Chairman of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Akure Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Alex Akinwale.

    Aside the late journalist, his wife, Kehinde; daughter, Pauline, and their housemaid, Bose, died in the road mishap.

    The Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Omolayo Olusegun, brought a two-count charge punishable under the Ondo State Laws against the defendant.

    She, however, urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody, pending when the duplicate of the case file is transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state Ministry of Justice for legal advice.

    But counsel to the accused person, Henry Orumen, asked the court to grant him bail, describing the charges as bailable offence.

    Bakare was later granted bail by Chief Magistrate Bob Manuel with the sum of N1m and two sureties who must be at least level 15 civil servants in Ondo or Osun states, while the case was adjourned till March 19.

     

  • Anger, anxiety in Langtang over withheld council results

    Anger, anxiety in Langtang over withheld council results

    •Polls recorded 85% success, says observers

    •APC: It was marred by fraud

    THERE are anger, anxiety, apprehension, suspicion and uncertainties in Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau state following refusal of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to release results of the council’s chairmanship election.

    It was widely believed that the election was clearly won by the Democratic People’s Party (DPP).

    The opposition party is funded by the former Federal Capital Territory minister, Gen Jeremiah Useni(Rtd.).

    Security agencies have been drafted to the council to prevent breakdown of law and other.

    PLASIEC is also yet to announce results of the councillorship polls in the council, fuelling tensions in the area.

    Many alleged the results are about to be manipulated.

    The commission announced the results for 14 councils in the election, which held last Tuesday but has refused to announce the outcomes of the Langtang local government’s elections.

    Chairman of the PLASEIC, Peter Dalyop, who announced the results three days after the elections, said the exercise was inconclusive in Langtang.

    According to him: “There was no result of elections in one of the seventeen wards in Langtang North LGA.

    “The returning officer of that local government submitted the results of the local government without that of Jat ward.

    “In line with our law, PLASIEC will conduct a re-run of the election in Jat ward this week before announcing the result”.

    The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won in all the local governments so far released.

    The refusal to announce the results in Langtang have fuelled tensions as youths in are spoiling for a showdown with PLASIEC should the suspected victory of DPP be upturned.

    A councillor from Langtang, Nandum Ponfa said: “PLASIEC is only trying a way to snatch the victory from DPP. The people are angry and there is fear all over.

    “No one knows what PDP is trying to do but I’m afraid if they tamper with the result of Langtang, there will be breakdown of law.”

    However, a coalition of accredited domestic observers said the election recorded 85% success.

    Spokesman of the coalition, Boniface Okafor, said: “25 of us were accredited as domestic observers. We came in, monitored the election and we can say the election was 85% successful.

    “We observed that there was early distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, the voters were peaceful in their conduct as well as the contesting political parties.”

    But the opposition parties led by All Progressives Congress (APC) said the elections were marred with frauds and should be cancelled.

    Plateau State Interim Secretary of APC, Ibrahim Nakande, said: “There are some noticeable malpractices capable of discrediting the exercise; it should rather be canceled”.

    He alleged snatching of ballot boxes in several councils.

     

  • Lawmaker’s brothers remanded for arson

    A magistrate’s court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has remanded Messrs Uchenna Okwuru, 32 and Okwuru Ozo Ogbonnaya, 40, for alleged arson.

    The suspects are relations of the lawmaker representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Tobias Okwuru.

    The second suspect, Ogbonnaya, is the lawmaker’s younger brother.

    They were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony, arson and destruction of property.

    According to the court records obtained by The Nation, the suspects allegedly set ablaze a house belonging to Mr. Ezeka Celestine, valued at N4.5 million and vandalised his Toyota Corolla car with registration number AE 56 NKE, worth about N1m.

    Magistrate N. Onuoha said the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter and remanded the suspects at the Abakaliki Prison.

    The judge directed the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) to forward the matter to a high court, which has jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

     

  • Court remands attempted murder suspects in prison

    Court remands attempted murder suspects in prison

    in Akure Magistrate’s Court remanded two attempted murder suspects in prison custody yesterday.

    Oluwatosin Aro and Femi Oyekan allegedly attempted to murder a member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr. Soji Akinkurolere, at Ilututun in Okitipupa Local Government Area.

    Oluwatosin Aro and Femi Oyekan were arraigned before the court presided over by Magistrate Oluwabukola Kuye for alleged robbery, threat to life and attempted murder.

    They were also accused of the malicious damage of three cars valued at N42 million belonging to the legislator.

    Police prosecutor Pelumi Adejuwon sought an adjournment to enable the force send duplicates of the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

    He urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody pending legal advice.

    Mrs. Kuye remanded the suspects in prison and adjourned the case to January 24.

  • ‘DPP will produce next Delta Central senator’

    ‘DPP will produce next Delta Central senator’

    Delta Central Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) senatorial candidate Chief Ede Dafinone spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU on the proposed senatorial by-election and his plans for the district.

    Why are you in the senatorial race?

    The answer to that question is quality representation. I can represent my people at the highest level in the country. I want to bring development and prosperity to Delta Central.

    Some people still harbor doubts about your senatorial bid. How do you intend to build confidence in people about your ambition?

    Every individual brings a different set of skills and experience to the polity. My background, education, professional experience as an accountant and consultant, my experience in rubber export and plantation, my experience in the insurance industry and in the retail or shopping mall business are all success stories in their own right. I believe that the totality of these experiences will enable me to add value as the Senator representing Delta Central.

    How would you react to the view that you are daddy’s boy?

    I want to thank God for blessing me with youthful looks. I will be 52 on my next birthday and I think, in terms of years spent on this planet, together with my collective experiences, I am qualified to occupy this position. Those calling me daddy’s boy clearly do not know me or worse still, do not know my father, Chief David Dafinone.

    Considering that politics in Nigeria is on cash and carry basis, how do you intend to fund and actualise your ambition?

    Politics has become an expensive venture, especially in Delta State. Good enough, I have just mentioned an array of successful businesses, which will assist in financing the campaign. In addition, I will also call on friends to support in any way they are able. I will want to emphasise that the focal point of any election is having a greater number of voters to cast their votes in my support. However, despite the popular rhetoric, Nigerians have learnt to vote with their conscience and not for money. Indeed, this is the background to the success story of the DPP today.

    What are the challenges facing you on the field?

    Party primaries are always a tense time in every political party and DPP is not an exception. I have taken my message of Urhobo unity and the development of Delta Central to the villages, the towns, from the wards to the local government areas, to the youths, to the women and to the elders. I believe that they will recognise that I offer a quality representation in the senate. I also have a network of friends throughout the federation in both the public and private sectors that will assist me to provide the best quality representation.

    What has been the response?

    All the groups I have met want me to represent Delta Central at the Senate.

    Are you not intimidated by the senatorial ambition of some people in the race?

    I contested in the last primaries in the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) against the late Senator Pius Ewherido. I lost by a total of 17 votes, having joined the party two and a half weeks to those primaries. I was new to the party at that time. Since then, I have fully acquainted myself with my party at the local government, state and federal levels. I believe I am the candidate to beat.

    What is your reaction to the rumour that you are eyeing the Delta State governorship in 2015?

    This issue was first raised by a couple of young men who went to press early this year to endorse me for the governorship race in 2015. I must say that I have not shown any interest in that position and the endorsement given by this group has led to confusion as I prepare for the senatorial bye-election. Let me say that, in 2015, the natural progression will be for me to stand for re-election as a senator representing Delta Central. The period left before the next election will leave a lot of work for the office uncompleted. Equally, the position of the party’s gubernatorial candidate for 2015 will easily be filled by our leader, Chief Great Ogboru, by popular acclamation by the rank and file of the party.

    What is your message to the political leaders?

    I am a popular grassroots politician. I started my political career in 1998 where I campaigned for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from markets to community leaders across the whole of Delta State. I am experienced in both public and private sectors and will unite the party to ensure victory at the polls.

    What is your message to the people?

    The empowerment projects that I have undertaken under the Dafinone Foundation since 2006 have successfully empowered over 2,500 men and women in three local government areas. The empowerment has been through skill acquisition programmes covering hair dressing, tailoring, catering, aluminum bending and welding and computer education. The projects of the foundation demonstrate a commitment to serve, which can only be magnified as the senator representing Delta Central.

  • ‘I’ll seek legal means to stop supplementary poll’

    The candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Mr. Chijioke Ndubuisi, yesterday said he will head for the Federal High Court, Awka, to stop the supplementary poll on Saturday.

    Ndubuisi said the November 16 governorship poll and the one held the following day by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were a failure and a fraud.

    He said in a statement in Onitsha yesterday: “The election was characterised by unprecedented disenfranchisement, corrupt inducement, disappearance of ballot boxes, late arrival of election materials and or non-arrival of election materials. INEC officials sabotaged the process. Elections were not held in most parts of Anambra State, particularly in Idemili North and South, the stronghold of my party. There was massive, unprecedented and scientific rigging, just to deny us victory. Elections were held on Sunday, the holy day of Christians in a Christian-dominated area.

    “The November 16 governorship poll is defective and must be nullified in accordance with the law. INEC has even accepted that the election was flawed.

    “We urge the electoral umpire to take the bull by the horns by applying to the court for an order to nullify the flawed election in the interest of justice and fair play.

    “We also enjoin INEC to jettison the idea of a supplementary election as it is illegal, unlawful and alien to our constitution and electoral laws. It must not be allowed to stand.

    “Finally, we advise INEC to fix a date for another election, which should be held on February 27, while parties should begin their campaigns from December 1.

    “DPP and its governorship candidate will likely file a suit in the Federal High Court, Awka, to stop the planned supplementary election.”

     

  • DPP candidate, son, two others shot

    A chieftain of the Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP) in Delta State, Mr. Blessing Oborevwori, his son and two associates are lying injured in hospital after an attack last Tuesday at Osubi in Okpe Local Government.

    Oborevwori, a local government chairmanship aspirant, was attacked in his home with his friends identified as Lucky Erhiavware and Christopher Appeal.

    The four victims were stabbed over 100 times during the attack.

    Speaking from his hospital bed in a telephone interview with The Nation yesterday, Oborevwori said the attack occurred about 7pm.

    He said: “I was at home after taking my dinner. My children told me that I had some visitors. I replied that they should let them in. The next thing I heard was a gunshot and at that time my child and my associates were already on the ground.

    “When the intruders saw me, they said ‘this is the man we have been looking for’. Before I could ask what was going on, I was already on the ground with machete cuts.

    “When they attacked me I asked them ‘what did I do?’ They said they were asked to kill me,” Oborevwori said, adding that he could identify at least three of his attackers.

    His attack has resulted in fear among politicians in the area, particularly against the backdrop of a recent similar attack on the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, in Uwheru.

    Our investigation showed that the attack on the DPP stalwart may not be politically- related.

    A source at Osubi said it may not be unconnected with the tussle for recognition and influence at Osubi, which hosts the Warri Airport.

    The airport is scheduled for expansion and leaders of the community, especially the youth leaders, are reported to be struggling to reap the windfall of contracts and other patronages from contractors.