The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Imprisonment

  • Cultism: Court jails two Ekiti varsity students

    Cultism: Court jails two Ekiti varsity students

    Two students of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Akintunde Olumide and Oladapo Olaoluwa are to spend the next three years in jail after being found guilty of involvement in cultism.

    The three-year imprisonment verdict was slammed on them by Justice Monisola Abodunde of an Ado Ekiti High Court who held that the prosecution has proved a case of stealing, assault and membership of a secret cult group against the accused beyond every reasonable doubt.

    Police prosecutor, Femi Falade, told the court that the accused committed the offence on July 13, 2013 at a hotel in Iworoko -Ekiti.

    He said that the accused were brought on a three -count-charge of stealing, assault and secret cult.

    Falade said the offence was punishable under Section 355,4(1) of Criminal  Code Laws of Ekiti State 2012 and Secret Cults (Abolition and Prohibition).

    The prosecutor called four witnesses to prove his case, while the defendant counsel, Emmanuel Oluwole, also called three witnesses to prove his case.

    Justice Abodunde said that the accused made a confessional statement as a member of Black Axe Confraternity at the Criminal Investigation Department during interrogation.

    She added that the Police found in their custody, small cutlass, black head warmer, black T-shirt, black trousers during investigation.

    The judge held that the short cutlass cannot be measurable with the one used for agriculture or weeding grass.

    “It is not a tool for education, it is a weapon of danger and indiscriminating, which should not be seen within the school premises,” she added.

    Justice Abodunde said the exhibit recovered from the accused made the case weighty and voluminous.

    She therefore found the accused guilty as charged and convicted them accordingly.

    The judge resolved two of the issues in favour of the accused and used the last count to sentence them to three years imprisonment without any option of fine.

    She added that this would serve as deterrent to other students in higher institutions, to always face their studies and shun secret cult activities.

     

     

  • Prostitution: 30 women bags six weeks imprisonment

    Prostitution: 30 women bags six weeks imprisonment

    Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Monday sentenced 30 women to six weeks imprisonment for prostitution.

    Those sentenced are Funmi Olayemi, Damilola Ibrahim, Blessing Emmanuel, Grace Nwaokoro, Anu Titus, Princess Osu, Cynthian Ozumba, Chindima Eke.

    Others include Blessing Winwah, Rebecca James, Gift James, Bukola Taiwo, Patience Amos, Oyinda Adesewa, Funmilayo Ajayi, Modinat Bello, Damilola Abiodun, Saki Godwin.

    Others are Glory Edet, Blessing Okafor, Tope Obatula, Shade Afolabi, Foluke Kolawole, Tosin Ajayi, Bisi Onanuga, Princess Isaac, Esther Akpan, Cythia Osas, Joy Osas and Patricia whose surname is unknown, among others.

    The accused were being tried for prostitution and breach of peace.

    The Magistrate, Mrs O. Odusanya sentenced the accused to six weeks each with an option of N10, 000.

    “You are hereby sentenced to six weeks imprisonment with an option of N10, 000 fine each,’’ she said.

    The accused, during their arraignment on Monday pleaded guilty to the offence, attributing it to the handiwork of the devil.

    The accused, whose ages and residential addresses were not given, were arrested at Obalenda area of Lagos at 2 a.m.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Femi Alabi told the court that the accused committed the offence on Sept. 5, at Obalende area of Lagos.
    He said that the accused paraded themselves on the street as public nuisance.

    “The accused were caught soliciting for clients, which is against the law of the state.’’ he said.

    According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Sections 142 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011

     

  • Fake corps member bags one month imprisonment

    Fake corps member bags one month imprisonment

    A Jos Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday sentenced a 25-year-old man, Abubakar Mohammed, to one month imprisonment for impersonating as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    The Magistrate, Mr Tijanni Zololo handed down the sentence after Mohammed pleaded guilty to the crime and begged the court for leniency.

    Zololo, however, gave the convict an option of N100, 000 fine.

    He said that the sentence was meant to serve as a deterrent to those who might want to engage in similar acts.
    The convict in his plea, attributed his action to the work of the devil, “I don’t know what came over me; it was the devil that made me do it.

    “I wanted to belong, and to be at the same level with my peers that was why I did it, have mercy on me,’’ he said.

    Mohammed who resides in Mubana Mujaye, Sokoto State, was charged with impersonation and forgery.

    Earlier, the police prosecutor, Cpl. Samuel Chirkwap told the court that the accused was arrested and taken to the police station after fake NYSC documents were found on him.

    He added that forged degree certificate of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto was also found in his possession.

    The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 179 and 111 of the Penal Code.

  • Man, 20 bags 3 years imprisonment for motorcycle theft

    An Osogbo Magistrate’s Court on Friday sentenced Abdullahi Azeez, 20, to three years imprisonment for theft of motorcycle.

    The Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, in his judgment, held that he was satisfied with the confession and remorse of the accused to the charge and therefore.

    “I, therefore, found him guilty and sentence Azeez to three years imprisonment or an option to pay N15, 000 fine,” Aluko said.

    He insisted that the sentence prescribed under the law for the offence must be followed.

    Prosecutor Isiaka Ajadi had told the court that the accused with his accomplice robbed one Ojo Ibrahim, of his motorcycle with reg. No. AAW 109 QB at Laro Otimeyin Area, Osogbo.

    “He deceived the Okada rider to take him to his destination at Laro Otimeyin from Okefia in Osogbo and before getting to his destination; he stopped the complainant and snatched his motor cycle.

    “The complainant started shouting and the Fulani men near the scene of the incident chased and apprehended the accused,” Ajadi said.

    He said the offence contravened Sections 516 and 390 of the Criminal Code of Osun 2003.

    The accused had pleaded guilty to the charge.

  • Court sentences councillors to three months imprisonment

    A State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday sentenced four principal officers of Ahoada East Legislative Council to three months imprisonment for disobeying court order.

    The officers are the former Leader, Emeka Godein, Deputy Leader, Goodlife Aliegbe, Chief Whip, Onwudiwe Abraham and the former Clerk, Aaron Odu.

    The convicts were found guilty of contempt of court by Justice George Omereji on February 25, but were allowed to go on bail to purge themselves of the offences they were charged with before April 15. The court adjourned for their sentencing.

    Some members of the legislative council in June 2012 began the process of impeaching the Vice-Chairman of the local government, Britain Ewor, on alleged criminal involvements while in overseas.

    On getting the hint, Ewor in a motion dated July 18 2012 and filed in the court on July 23 2012, challenged the planned action of the members and sought for an interlocutory injunction restraining them from further action.

    The court granted his application on June 27, 2012, and ordered them to stay further actions or proceedings in respect of the matter being challenged in the action, including the purported impeachment proceedings.

    Despite the court order, however, the respondents on July 5, 2012 impeached the applicant (Ewor) and locked up his office.

    Following this, the court in a ruling on February 25 convicted the accused persons and ruled that:

    “They (respondent/contemnors) shall with immediate effect rescind and vacate the impeachment of the applicant.

    “All the suspended salaries, entitlements, allowances and remunerations of the applicant shall be paid to him (applicant), in full.

    “That the respondents/contemnor, who have been found guilty of the contempt of this court are to be allowed to go on the condition that two sureties have to take them on bail in the sum of N2million, four passport photographs, a sworn affidavit of means each and address to be confirmed by the court registrar.

    “I shall adjourn this case to see if the respondent and the respondent/contemnor have purged themselves of the contempt of this court.”

    However, rather than complying with the court order on the resumed sitting on April 15, they informed the court of having appealed their conviction.

    The court re-adjourned the case till yesterday, insisting that they should comply with the order of the court.

    Yesterday, Omereji sentenced the accused to three months imprisonment with hard labour.

    He did not allow any option of fine.

  • Reps okay life imprisonment for rapists

    Reps okay life imprisonment for rapists

    Rapists risk life imprisonment, if the Presidency adopts the recommendations of the House of Representatives report on a bill for an Act on Violence against Persons.

    Besides, persons convicted of gang raping a victim shall be liable jointly and severally to a minimum of 20 years’ imprisonment without an option if fine.

    However, where the offender is less than 14 years, the offender shall be liable to a minimum of 14 years imprisonment and a minimum of 12 years without an option of fine.

    A member of the House, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, while presenting the 51-clause bill yesterday, said it has become expedient for the bill to become law going by the rising cases of violence against persons in the country.

    The lawmakers are also recommended imprisonment not exceeding five years or a fine of N100,000 or both for anyone convicted of wilfully causing or inflicting physical injury on another person by means of any substance or object.

    It was also recommended that any person who compels another by force or threat to engage in any conduct or act of sexual or otherwise to the detriment of the victim’s physical or psychological well being commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding N500,000 or both.

    Female circumcision and general mutilation also drew punishment as any person convicted of performing it or engaging someone to carry it out risks a four-year jail term or a fine not more than N200,000 or both.

    However, the recommendation that the victim has the right to terminate pregnancy resulting from rape was rejected by the lawmakers and deleted from the report.

    The next phase is to seek Senate’s concurrence on the bill before being sent to the President for his assent for it to become law.

  • Man sentenced to 14 days imprisonment for beating wife

    An Agege Customary Court on Tuesday sentenced a 39-year-old man to 14 days imprisonment for contempt, following his disobedience to the court order to maintain the peace with his estrange wife.

    “The court hereby sentences you, Ibukun Oluwadamilare, to 14 days imprisonment for contempt of court for beating up your wife.

    “I believe that if you get there, you will learn one or two lessons and you will control your temper thereafter,’’ the Court President, Mr. Emmanuel Sokunle, said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the court, had at the last hearing, ordered the couple in the divorce suit to maintain the peace.

    However, the wife, the petitioner in the suit, informed the court a day later that the respondent beat her, in spite of the order.

    The petitioner, Adesewa, 33, had filed the suit in September, asking the court to dissolve her 12-year-old marriage to Oluwadamilare over battering and threat to life.

    Adesewa, who lives at No. 18b, Kayode Joseph St., Powerline, Oke- Ira, Ogba, told the court: “My husband had wanted to make love to me in the presence of our children but I refused.

    “He then beat me mercilessly to the extent of removing one of my teeth. If my husband has money, he won’t give me and the children.

    “He prefers to go to the club and declare surplus and when the money is finished, he comes home to steal my money,” she alleged.

    The mother of three children, aged between five and 10 years, also added that her husband often malign her before their children by making unsubstantiated allegation that she was promiscuous.

    “We live in one room but my husband won’t wait till midnight when our children will be asleep before drawing my pants.

    “My husband started going to a white garment church in April, and so, brings home different colours of candle.

    “He left the church we were both going because he accused me of going out with our pastor and I am fed up with all of his behaviour,” she said.