The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Driver

  • Driver arraigned for ‘failing to pay after wining and dining’

    A driver, Sunday Lawal, who allegedly obtained three bottles of Hennessy and food valued at N75,000 from a bar attendant under false pretences, has been arraigned at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    The accused, 33, who lives at Bola Ajibola Street, Ikeja, Lagos is standing trial on a two-count charge of obtaining under false pretences and breach of peace.

    He pleaded not guilty.

    The prosecutor, Raji Akeem, told the court that the accused committed the offences on July 9, at Royal Club, Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja.

    He said the accused fraudulently obtained three bottles of Hennessy and food for himself and his friends at the club on the pretext that payment would be made after eating and drinking.

    Akeem said the complainant, Oluwaseyi Joseph, alleged that when he approached the accused and his friends to pay after eating, they started giving flimsy excuses.

    The prosecutor said the accused claimed there was a problem with his ATM card and he did not have enough money to pay for the drinks and food.

    He said Joseph told his manager that the accused and his friends refused to pay their bill.

    Akeem said the manager notified the police, who arrested Lawal and took him to the station for questioning.

    The offences contravene sections 166 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The Magistrate, Mr. T.O Shomade, granted the accused bail at N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

    He adjourned the case till August 9 for mention.

  • Driver arraigned for ‘damaging vehicle’s parts valued at N4.4m’

    A 33-year-old driver, Julius Orioke, who allegedly damaged some parts of his company’s articulated vehicle valued at N4.4million was yesterday granted N500,000 bail by an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    Orioke had pleaded not guilty to the charge of damage.

    Magistrate J.A Adigun also asked the accused to produce two sureties as part of the bail conditions.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Godwin Awaze said the accused committed the offence on April 12 at Guinness Compound, Agege in Lagos.

    He said the accused damaged the parts of his company’s articulated vehicle valued at N4.4million, property of Transnational Haulage Ltd.

    “The accused damage the axle, chassis and beam and three tyres, the parts damaged was N4.4million,” he said.

    Awaze said the accused committed the offence while engaging in an illegal business with the vehicle.

    “The accused was entrusted with a truck loaded with Guinness products to transport to Port-Harcourt from Lagos.

    “After offloading the goods, he unlawfully transported illegal petroleum chemical goods from Port-Harcourt to Onitsha without the company’s consent.

    “In the process, the accused damaged some parts of the trailer,” he said.

    The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 351of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(Revised).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 351 prescribes two years’ jail term for damage.

    The case was adjourned until July 3.

  • Edo govt orders probe into cuffed driver saga

    Edo State government has dissociated itself from the treatment meted out to a bus driver, Kester Odosi, who was allegedly handcuffed to a police van in Edo State.

    The government said his torturers would be brought to justice.

    In the video and accompanying pictures, a man identified as Kester Odosi has his left hand cuffed to a police van.

    He is dragged as the vehicle moves from Sokponba Road to First East Circular Junction.

    In a statement by the Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the government denounced participation in the act and restated its commitment to ensuring civil and lawful behaviour.

    The statement reads: “This cruel, inhuman and barbaric treatment is totally unacceptable to the Government of Edo State and is in fact unacceptable in any sane or civilised society.

    “The governor has directed the Edo State Ministry of Justice to initiate immediate action to identify and prosecute all of or any officers or persons found to have been complicit in this outrage.”

    The government said it was because of such actions it banned non-state actors collecting revenue as well as officials of Community Development Associations (CDAs) who resorted to violence to obtain illegal levies from innocent citizens.

  • Oyo to dismiss driver, ticket vendor for ‘siphoning fuel’

    A driver and his ticket vendor in the Oyo State Pacesetter Transport Service (Ajumose) have been suspended for allegedly siphoning fuel from their vehicle for sale to a private vehicle owner.
    The suspects were caught by a member of the Corrupt Practices Eradication Organisation of Nigeria (COPEON), a non-government organisation with members across the country, who recorded the act.
    The Executive Secretary, Bureau of Investment Promotion, Mr. Yinka Fatoki, who addressed reporters yesterday while hosting the Director of Administration, COPEON, Rev. Oluwabusuyi Benjamin, said the anti-corruption body informed the Office of the Governor.
    He said the driver and the ticket vendor had been suspended.
    “This is like a whistle- blower approach to corruption. The NGO that exposed this is not ready to gain anything pecuniary, except that it seeks a changed and better Nigeria.
    “The suspects have been suspended and we have begun investigations into the activities of our drivers and ticket vendors to arrest more people,” Fatoki said.
    He said the government would partner people and organisations to expose shady deals.
    The executive secretary said the transport agency did not owe any worker.

  • Driver charged with traffic offences gets N200,000 bail

    An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court, on Tuesday, granted N200,000 bail to a driver, Theophilus Gbabe, charged with wrong parking without the use of caution sign at old Jebba road, Ilorin.

    The Magistrate, Mrs Bimbo Awolola, also ordered that the defendant must have sureties in like sum and adjourned hearing in the case till May 10.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Adewumi Johnson, told the court that Gbabe parked in a dangerous manner which caused an accident to other road users.

    However, the defendant pleaded not guilty.

    He said the defendant was arraigned on a five-count charge of wrong parking, causing obstruction, no drivers licence, operating with wornout tyres and failure to display vehicle licence, offences that contravened sections 109, 65, 10, 7 and 6 of the penal code law.

    He urged the court to remand him in prison custody pending the outcome of further investigation.

  • Driver ‘abandons boss in farm after stealing his dollars’

    Driver ‘abandons boss in farm after stealing his dollars’

    A driver, Olufojude Abiodun, who allegedly abandoned his boss on a farm after stealing his $1,400, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Abiodun, 30, an employee of Iroko Capital Ltd, was docked before Magistrate B. O. Sonuga on a count of stealing.

    Prosecuting Inspector Abass Abayomi said on the morning of last March 15, Abayomi drove his boss, Efulue Kenneth, to Kenneth’s farm in Ogun State, but abandoned him there.

    Abiodun later sent him a text message that he had resigned.

    Kenneth, who couldn’t drive because of his poor sight, found someone else to drive him back to Lagos.

    When he arrived at his Victoria Island, Lagos residence, at about 9am, he discovered that the $1,400 he kept in a bag was missing.

    According to the prosecutor, only Abiodun knew about the money and where it was kept.

    “The complainant said the $1,400 was part of the dollars he had bought to enable him travel abroad for the treatment of his poor sight,” the prosecutor said.

    The offence, he added, is punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Sonuga granted him N200,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum and adjourned till May 9.

     

  • Driver accuses Ogun traffic agency’s officials of extortion

    A truck driver, Kehinde Okunola, has accused men of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) of extortion.

    According to the driver, the incident happened on February 3, 2017, when men of the agency falsely accused him of parking his truck on the highway.

    Okunola, who said his vehicle, a white DAF truck with registration number SAN 93 XA, had broken down around Odogbolu axis of Lagos-Ijebu highway, said he was shocked that men of the agency insisted on impounding his vehicle, even when it was parked far from the road.

    He explained that apart from the necessary fines paid (over N150,000), he was also made to cough out the sum of N30, 000 before his vehicle was released from the custody of the agency.

    He added that it was after he paid the money that a note was issued for its release from police custody at Odogbolu Division, where it was parked.

    However, the spokesman of TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi said Okunola’s allegations were untrue.

    He said: ‘’There is no iota of truth in the allegations. Our men at Ikenne zone impounded his truck for violating Ogun State traffic laws and he only paid the necessary fines imposed on traffic offenders of his category, our men did not extort money from him at all.’’

     

  • Driver found with ‘stolen’ number-plate

    Driver found with ‘stolen’ number-plate

    Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials have arrested a commercial bus driver, David Agiri, for allegedly using a stolen number-plate FKJ 875XC.

    A statement by LASTMA yesterday claimed that while attempting to escape arrest, the driver almost ran over the car of its General Manager, Mr Olawale Musa, and its monitoring team’s bus.

    Agiri has been on the agency’s wanted list since February 23 for allegedly driving against traffic at Iyana-Iba on the Lagos-Badagry Express Way.

    But, he was not pursued in line with the agency’s policy and he was eventually arrested with the same vehicle last Thursday at Oshodi.

    A check of his particulars revealed that the number-plate did not correspond with the vehicle papers. The number-plate belongs to a Port Harcourt resident with a different name and vehicle type.

    The statement signed by LASTMA’s chief public affairs officer Adu Adebankole said Agiri was seen driving against traffic at Iyana Iba, adding that efforts to apprehend him proved abortive as he mobilised social miscreants to attack the traffic officials.

    Agiri has been handed over to police from Mosafejo Division.

    The statement quoted Musa as saying that the agency would not relent in ensuring free flow of traffic.

    The era of fragrant disobedience of traffic laws, it said, was gone.

  • Teenager charged with stabbing BRT driver

    A 19-year-old man, Mathew Obong, who allegedly attacked and stabbed a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) driver with knife with others still at large at Oshodi, was yesterday brought before a magistrates’ court in Lagos.

    Obong, a resident of Ajanayo Street, Oniwaya, Lagos, is being tried for breach of peace, assault, grievous harm and conspiracy at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    According to the prosecuting Sergeant, Emmaunel Ajayi, the accused committed the offences on February 22 at Cappa Junction near Oshodi, Lagos.

    He said the accused with others still at large conspired and assaulted the BRT driver, Mr Stanley Kalu when he came out of his vehicle to urinate.

    “The accused stabbed the complainant with a knife all over his body,” he said.

    Ajayi said the complainant, who was driving from Oshodi towards Mushin, made a U-turn at Cappa Junction and came down from the vehicle to urinate.

    “After the complainant had off-load his passengers, he made a U-turn and parked to urinate.

    “The accused attacked him claiming that he beamed the headlight of the bus on them.

    “The accused removed a knife from his pocket and started stabbing him.

    “He and his accomplices ran away when blood was gushing out of the complainant’s body.

    “But when the police stormed the scene, only the accused was arrested,” he told the court.

    Ajayi said after beating and stabbing the complainant, the accused took his N13, 500 from his pocket.

    The offence contravened Sections 166, 171, 243 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Section 243 prescribes a maximum seven years jail term for offenders.

    The accused pleaded innocence of the offence and was granted N50,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    Magistrate F. A. Azeez adjourned the case till March 21.

     

  • Teenager stabs BRT driver with knife

    A 19-year-old unemployed man, Mathew Obong, who allegedly attacked and stabbed a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) driver with knife with others still at large at Oshodi, was on Thursday brought before a magistrates’ court in Lagos.

    Obong, a resident of Ajanayo Street, Oniwaya, Lagos, is being tried for breach of peace, assault, grievous harm and conspiracy at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Emmaunel Ajayi, the accused committed the offences on Feb. 22 at Cappa Junction near Oshodi, Lagos.

    He said the accused with others still at large conspired and assaulted the BRT driver, Mr Stanley Kalu when he came out of his vehicle to urinate.

    “The accused stabbed the complainant with a knife all over his body,” he said.

    Ajayi said the complainant, who was driving from Oshodi towards Mushin, made a U-turn at Cappa Junction and came down from the vehicle to urinate.

    “After the complainant had off-load his passengers, he made a U-turn and parked to urinate.

    “The accused attacked him claiming that he beamed the headlight of the bus on them.

    “The accused removed a knife from his pocket and started stabbing him.

    “He and his accomplices ran away when blood was gushing out of the complainant’s body.

    “But when the police stormed the scene, only the accused was arrested,” he told the court.

    Ajayi said after beating and stabbing the complainant, the accused took his N13, 500 from his pocket.

    The offences contravened Sections 166, 171, 243 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Section 243 prescribes a maximum seven years jail term for offenders.

    The accused pleaded innocence of the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    The Magistrate, Mrs F. A. Azeez adjourned the case to March 21 for mention. (NAN)