The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gbenga Daniel

  • Court adjourns Daniel’s trial to 2014

    Court adjourns Daniel’s trial to 2014

    An Abeokuta High Court on Thursday adjourned till Feb. 6, 2014, continuation of proceedings in a criminal case brought against former governor of Ogun, Chief Gbenga Daniel.
    The former governor was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraudulent conversion of land and diversion of public funds.
    The trial judge, Justice Olarenwaju Mabekoje, said that the adjournment was to enable the Court of Appeal to deliver judgment in an appeal on its ruling delivered on Jan. 8.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Daniel filed the appeal at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, challenging the dismissal of his plea to quash counts 1-13 of the 38 charges leveled against him by the EFCC in the subsisting suit.
    At the resumed hearing, counsel to Daniel, Mrs Titilola Akinlawon, informed the court that her client’s appeal had been argued at the Appeal Court and that judgment had been reserved.
    She pleaded for an adjournment to a date exceeding Jan.  28, 2014, “when the judgment would have been given in respect of the appeal.’’
    The case was consequently adjourned till Feb. 6, 2014 for continuation of trial.
  • Wole Awolowo: Amosun, Daniel storm Ikenne

    Wole Awolowo: Amosun, Daniel storm Ikenne

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and his predecessor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on Thursday led the pack of dignitaries who trooped to the Ikenne residence of the Awolowos to condole with the family over the death of Chief Oluwole Awolowo.

    The Managing Director of African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Edward Dickson, had on Wednesday night announced that Awolowo, the Publisher of the Tribune titles, had died in a London hospital at the age of 70.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the deceased, who was the son of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, died from complications arising from a ghastly auto-accident on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on September 30, 2006.

    NAN also reports that other early callers at the Awolowo residence were Gen. Oladipo Diya, Sen. Femi Okuruonmu, Sen. Anthony Adefuye, Mr. Ajani Olanihun(SAN) and Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Yusuf Olaniyonu.

    Speaking to journalists after emerging from a private audience with the wife of the late sage, Hannah, Amosun described the death of Awolowo as sad.

    Amosun said: “ It is sad, very sad, particularly when one considers that Mama is still very much with us. We thank God for everything.

    “All we can say is that we pray to God that such would not be witnessed anymore. Even though he was 70, we don’t pray that he should die now.

    “ We would have loved to have him around probably for as old as Mama, but what can we do?

    “We just have to live with the sad reality that he is dead.

    “ Let me on behalf of the good people of Ogun State commiserate with the entire Awolowo family, not just the biological children but all the political children and allies.’’

    Daniel, on his part, described the death of the scion of the Awolowo family as unfortunate.

    “ Since the last few years that he had the accident and took ill, he had been battling and struggling, but we thank God that he was survived by successful children.

    “ We commiserate with Mama and pray that God would strengthen her at this moment.

    “ When someone loses someone, it is a thing of concern. The person to pray for now is Mama and it is that God should continue to strengthen her,’’ Daniel said.