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Tag: Iju-Ishaga

  • Thomas Hobbes ‘visits’ Iju-Ishaga

    Thomas Hobbes, God bless his British soul. It was he who in 1650 wrote that masterpiece of a philosophical thought known as The Leviathan. In that opus he described the natural state of man where there is no government or community.

    Let’s illustrate ‘the state on nature’ with this excerpt quickly:

    “In such a condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently, no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no arts; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

    This grand thought, expressed by a grand mind about 359 years still rings true today. It speaks about the rudimentary setting of societies and communities; look around you, do you see some of these base and basic precepts enumerated above?

    Let us pick a few examples from the above quote. First, it says there’s no place for industry: consider Nigeria’s situation; industry in the primary sense, which is individual’s engagement in productive work, is in such a miasma. And industry as symbolized by large business is near comtose.

    It says there is no culture of the earth: our agriculture and cultivation don’t not feed the populace even in this age.

    No navigation: we do not have shipping companies as we rely on other countries’ and our major sea ports are encumbered by articulated trucks.

    No account of time: yes, we still do not have a proper conception of time; we rely on our own ‘African time’.

    Then, the worst of all Hobbes say, is, “No society.” This he says yields to continual fear, and danger of violent death, making the life of man poor nasty, brutish and short, to sum it all up. This is our stark reality today.

    But a typical Hobbesian scenario was re-enacted in the Iju-Ishaga suburb of Lagos early in the week when a train (yes, train) crushed four people in a tricycle. According to witnesses at the scene, the tricyclist was reckless as he attempted to defy an on-coming train… the remains of the deceased littered the scene… three men and a woman.

    You would think barricades were let down at railway crossings when a train hurtles by? If this is not classic Hobbesian nasty, brutish and short life…

  • Two sisters in court for allegedly beating, tearing policeman’s uniform

    The police on Thursday arraigned two sisters, Favour Ajula and Oluchi Ajula in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court accused of assaulting police inspector by tearing his uniform and dragging his gun.

    Favour, a 24-year-old hairdresser; and 18-year-old Oluchi, a nurse, appeared before Magistrate F.F. George on a two-count charge of conspiracy and assault.

    The duos, who reside at Iju-Ishaga in Agege area of Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

    George said the sureties should be gainfully employed and must show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and adjourned the matter until May 14 for mention.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awase, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on April 13 at their residence.

    He said the sisters and one Emeka, a teenager, assaulted Insp. Bitrus Zingkur, by tearing his uniform and also dragged his service gun while performing his lawful duty.

    Read Also: Court strikes out theft case against tiler

    Awase said a man went to report to the police that the defendants were after his life.

    He added that “one Uche Prince, a co-tenant, reported the defendants to police that they wanted to kill him; and the complainant followed him to the house.

    “When the complainant tried to mediate and settle the disagreement, the two sisters assaulted him.”

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 174( b ) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015( Revised ).

    Section 174 stipulates three years imprisonment for assault, while Section 411 attracts two years jail term for conspiracy.

    NAN

  • Two men in court for alleged gang rape of girl in bush

    Two men, Peter Ugbe, 32, and Hamed Alao, 25, appeared in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for alleged gang rape of a 20-year-old girl inside the bush.

    Ugbe and Alao, who reside in Iju-Ishaga Area of Lagos, had pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge of rape, conspiracy and assault.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Victor Eruada, told the court that the accused persons and one other still at large, committed the offence on March 18, at Cele Bus-Stop, Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos Suburb.

    Eruada said that the accused and his accomplice accosted the girl, assaulted her with a cutlass and forced her to the bush and gang raped her.

    Read Also: Court remands man for alleged robbery

    “It was a passer-by who heard her shouting for help from the bush and alerted other people. Ugbe and Alao were apprehended, ” Eruada told the court.

    He said that the offence contravened sections 260, 411 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The News men reports that Section 260 prescribes life imprisonment for offenders upon conviction.

    The Magistrate, Mrs Dan Oni, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties in like sum. Oni adjourned the case until April 23, for trial.

    NAN

  • Two docked for allegedly assaulting motorist

    Two docked for allegedly assaulting motorist

    Two brothers, Gabriel Sanya,  28, and Michael Sanya, 30, were on Monday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly assaulting a motorist.

    The accused, residing at Iju-Ishaga in Agege, near Lagos, are facing a two-count charge of assault and conspiracy.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Samuel Ishola, told court that the accused committed the offences on January 8 at Iju Bus Stop in Agege.

    Read also: Motorists groan as fuel queues return to Lagos

    lshola said the accused assaulted one Sunday Akanni, a driver, working with LagBus over a misunderstanding on collecting balance of transport fare.

    “Akanni sustained an eye injury, following a head-butt as well as several punches from the brothers during an argument,” the prosecutor said.

    The offence contravened Section 172 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Magistrate, Mrs A.R. Onilogbo, granted them bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and must show evidence of a two-year tax payment to the Lagos State Government as part of the bail conditions.

    Onilogbo adjourned the case until February 17 for mention.

    NAN

  • Teenager arraigned for snatching phone, granted bail

    An 18-year-old apprentice, Lekan Akinyemi, who allegedly snatched a cell phone worth N10,000 from a woman, was on Monday granted N50,000 bail by an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Alexander Komolafe, asked the accused to provide two sureties in like sum as part of the bail conditions.

    Komolafe said the sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    Earlier, the accused, who resides at No. 17, Dada Iyalode St., Mushin, Lagos, had pleaded not guilty to charge of stealing and breach of peace.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Joseph Ajebe, told the court that the accused committed the offences on March 25, at about 9.30p.m, at Ajilete Bus Stop, Iju Ishaga, Lagos.

    Ajebe said the accused attacked the complainant, Mrs Alimat Yusuf, while she was in front of her house, snatched her phone, and took to his heels.

    He said that the accused was apprehended by some passersby who gave him a chase, and handed over to the police.

    The prosecutor alleged that while the accused was detained at the police station, he made an attempt to escape by damaging the cell wall.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 166 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 285 stipulates a three-year jail term for offenders.

    The magistrate adjourned the case till May 17 for mention.

  • He wants to use me for money rituals, Wife tells court

    He wants to use me for money rituals, Wife tells court

    A fashion designer, Bose Oguntoye, on Friday pleaded with an Agege Customary Court, Lagos, to end her five-year-old marriage, citing her husband’s fetish practices and threats to her life.

    “My husband is too money conscious and is desperate to make money at all costs.

    “I live in fear of the unknown because of all kinds of charms l see with him.

    “He also beats me up at any slightest opportunity, especially when he is not in a good mood, he visits his anger on me,’’ she told the court.

    Testifying before Mr Phillips Williams, the court President, she said there was no love lost between them again.

    “Sometime in April 2015, when l became pregnant with our second child, my husband placed a charm on me and l became sick and eventually ran mad.’’

    He took me to somewhere in Matogun, Ikorodu under the pretext of curing me and l was being fed with all sorts of assorted charms.

    The petitioner said that she is still alive today due to the intervention of her family members who came to take her away, when her health was deteriorating.

    “I was taken to Ikare in Ondo State where l spent five months, before l became hale and hearty again.’’

    Bose alleged that when she came back to her matrimonial home, her husband did not relent in his fetish ways.

    “He took me to a muslim cleric who gave me a substance and told me not to get close to my husband for sometime.

    “On getting home, my husband told me to move to my parent’s house, which l refused. This led to a series of misunderstandings between us.’’

    According to the petitioner, the respondent became confrontational with her.

    “He told me that he wants to be rich this year under any circumstances. l must build houses and buy cars’’ to which l replied “there is no problem with that, as long as you don’t use me for money rituals.’’

    Bose told the court that the respondent used force to collect her two children from her, under the guise of being a police officer.

    “They made me write a statement under duress, to release my children and they took them away from me, claiming that l was mentally unstable.’’

    “I had to run for my dear life when l realised he was making serious efforts to use me for money rituals.

    The respondent, Adewale Oguntoye, an indigene of Ondo State,  resident at No. 4, Oluyomi Olusesi St., Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, however, denied the allegations, but was ready for the dissolution of the marriage.

    According to the father of two, there has been a frosty relationship between him and his wife since she came up with the idea of going to another church.

    Adewale, a resident of No. 4, Oluyomi Olusesi St., Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, claimed that the petitioner had been keeping late nights and would not disclose her whereabouts.

    “She started misbehaving, keeping all sorts of friends and became disrespectful to me.’’

    Adewale said he suspected his wife was dating the pastor of the church she started attending, even after he vehemently disagreed and warned her not to continue, she remained adamant.

    He alleged that the pastor took the petitioner out on Valentine’s Day and bought her different gifts.

    The respondent described his wife as an adulterer.

    On the allegation of trying to use his wife for money rituals, the respondent denied, but the petitioner remained adamant.

    NAN reports that the court’s president later invited the estranged couple to his chambers for a possible resolution of the crisis.