The Nation Newspaper

Tag: jailed

  • Ex-Osun council chair jailed six years for graft

    Ex-Osun council chair jailed six years for graft

    The Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday secured the conviction of a former Chairman Orolu Local Government Area of Osun State, Chief Rufus Woleola Ojo.

    Justice David Oladimeji of the Osun State High Court, sitting at Ede, found the former chairman guilty on two of the three counts filed against him by the EFCC and convicted him.

    The court sentenced him to three years in jail for each of the two counts, which will run concurrently.

    The journey to the Ile-Ife prison began for Woleola Ojo following his arraignment before Justice F. E. Owolabi of the Osun State High Court on May 28, 2013 on a three count charge bordering on stealing, using position for personal gratification and money laundering.

    One of the charges reads: “That you, Chief Rufus Woleola Ojo (carrying on business under the name and style of Rulekal Ventures) and others at large, sometimes in December 2006 at Orolu Local Government Area within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud fraudulently converted to your own use the sum of N22,058,021.30, property of Orolu Local Government Area of Osun State entrusted to you whilst you were its Executive Chairman.”

    The court discharged him on court three, bordering on offences of money laundering.

     

  • US-based Nigerian couple to pay N44m for enslaving nanny

    US-based Nigerian couple to pay N44m for enslaving nanny

    A Houston-based couple was ordered at the weekend to pay more than $121,000 in restitution to a Nigerian nanny who worked in their home.

    The couple had pleaded guilty to federal charges related to forcing the woman to work nearly 20 hours a day, taking care of their home and five children without pay for two years, authorities said.

    Besides, Chudy Nsobundu, 57, and his wife Sandra, 49, were sentenced to seven months in jail and seven months of home confinement, plus three years probation.

    The couple, who are Nigerian-born, naturalized U.S. citizens, recruited the woman by promising her a $100 monthly wage. Instead, they abused her physically and verbally while she worked at their home in the Houston suburb of Katy from September 2013 to October 2015, authorities said.

    Chudy Nsobundu pleaded guilty to visa fraud in 2016 while his wife pleaded guilty to unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labour.

    According to court documents, the nanny worked every day from 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., with no breaks, and no fresh food, and at times was allowed to drink only the milk left in the children’s cereal bowls.

    The Nsobundus prevented the nanny from leaving their employment by withholding her passport and by threatening her with physical and mental abuse, authorities said.

    The nanny reached out for help and was rescued following a tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Centre.

    Prosecutors also say the couple knowingly submitted false application to the U.S. State Department for the woman’s visa application.

     

  • Security guard jailed for burglary

    A 28-year-old man, Adamu Buga, is to spend the next six months at Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos for burglary.

    The Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos gave the judgment after Buga pleaded guilty.

    Chief Magistrate Mr. T. O. Shomade sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

    “This will act as a deterrent to others,” he said.

    The prosecutor, Raji Akeem, had told the court that the offence was committed in September at GAK Universal Allied Industries Ltd, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.

    He said the accused, a security guard, whose address was not given, gained entrance to one of the offices by breaking the ceiling and door.

    The prosecutor said the broken ceiling and door were valued at N75, 000.

    “The accused stole N99, 250, 00 and a plasma television valued at N150, 000.

    “Efforts to locate him failed until he was seen by one of the workers, who shouted. A passerby helped in apprehending him,” he said.

    The offence contravenes sections 406, 287 and 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

  • Boy jailed for defiling minor

    A mararaba Upper Area Court in Nasarawa State has sentenced a 16-year-old boy to eight months’’ imprisonment for having carnal knowledge of a four-year-old girl.

    The judge, Mr. Ibrahim Shekarau, sentenced the convict without an option of fine and ordered court officials to give him 14 strokes of the cane.

    He said since the convict was underage, he should be taken to a rehabilitation centre in Kaduna State where he would serve his jail term.

    Shekarau ordered the convict to pay N30,000 to the nominal complainant as money spent for treatment.

    The defendant, a resident of Mararaba in Nasarawa State, pleaded guilty to the charge of gross indecency.

    The police prosecutor, Mr. Godwin Ejeh, said the complainant, Isaac (surname unknown), of the same address with the convict, reported the matter at Abacha Road Police Station, Mararaba, on November 10.

    He said on November 5, the convict had carnal knowledge of the complainant’s daughter.

    Ejeh said the victim was hospitalised.

    He said the offence contravened Section 285 of the Penal Code.

  • Salesman jailed 18 months

    A Masaka Upper Area Court in Nasarawa State has sentenced a 30-year-old salesman, Femi Samson, to 18 months’ imprisonment for misappropriating his employer’s N63,125.

    Samson, a resident of Riverside Film, Bala Masaka, Nasarawa State, pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of misappropriation.

    Pleading for mercy, he said: “My lord, I am sorry for what I did. Please give me two months to pay back. I promise to do this.”

    The judge, Yakubu Ishaku, sentenced Samson to 18 months’ imprisonment.

    But he gave him an option of N10,000 fine, saying he should pay N63,125 to the complainant.

    The court ordered the convict to pay N12,000 to the complainant being expenses incurred for the prosecution.

    Ishaku said N75,125, should be paid within two months as agreed by the convict.

    He warned that in case of a default, the convict would get additional 10 months’ imprisonment.

    The prosecutor, Frank Swem, told the court that Janet Emeafu, of Up Market, Masaka, Nasarawa State, reported the matter at the Divisional Police Station, Masaka, on November 5.

    He said on November 3, the Manager of Hot Lottery Shop, at Maju Market, Masaka, entrusted the amount to him.

    Swem told the court that the convict stole the money.

    He added that during investigation, it was discovered that the convict converted the money to his use.

    The prosecutor said Samson absconded to an unknown destination until he was arrested on November 8.

    He said the offence contravened Section 309 of the Penal Code.

  • Man jailed three years for defiling daughter

    A Jos Upper Area Court at Kasuwan Nama, Plateau State, has sentenced a 35-year-old businessman, Hamza Abubakar, to three years for defiling his nine-year-old daughter.

    The judge, Mr. Yahaya Mohammed, convicted Abubakar, as he pleaded guilty to the three-count charge levelled against him.

    Mohammed, who sentenced Abubakar without an option of fine, said the offence contravened Section 157 of Plateau Criminal Procedure Law.

    He said the sentence would act as a deterrent to others.

    The prosecutor, Mr. E. Edwin, told the court that the case was transferred from Bukuru Police “B” Division to the State Criminal Investigative Department.

    He said the convict lured his nine-year-old daughter into his second wife’s room and had carnal knowledge of her.

    Edwin said the convict threatened to kill his daughter if she told others.

    The prosecutor said the offences of incest, rape and criminal intimidation contravened sections 390, 283 and 397 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria.

  • Nigerian jailed three years in US for wire fraud

    Nigerian jailed three years in US for wire fraud

    A Nigerian, Wiseman Oputa, living in Texas, United States of America, has been jailed for three years by a federal judge in Houston.

    The 25-year-old had pleaded guilty to a $1.3million wire fraud in April, using fake passports and romance schemes.

    Investigators said Oputa used counterfeit passports to open bank accounts in the Houston area. The passports had his photo but different names and identification.

    Prosecutors said he then lured online victims into sending money to those accounts.

    The scams ranged from bogus business deals and romance offers to false reports of money won and taxes needing to be paid to acquire the winnings.

    Along with restitution, Oputa also will face deportation proceedings when he leaves prison.

    The US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, said the funds were “obtained through a variety of internet scams, including business email compromise, romance schemes and unauthorized intrusions into company email accounts. Checks or wire transfers were then sent from the company’s accounts payable to accounts Oputa or others controlled. Oputa would then use the counterfeit passports to retrieve the fraudulently obtained funds.”

    In one instance in December 2016, Oputa, the office said “opened an account at Regions Bank with a counterfeit Ghanaian passport as identification. Shortly thereafter the account received a wire transfer of $40,000 from a victim who had been told to send money for taxes on money he had won in Spain. USAA Bank identified the fraudulent and was able to recall the wire.”

    U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett accepted the guilty plea and has set sentencing for July 6, 2017. At that time, Oputa faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

  • 45 Boko Haram members jailed

    Forty-five members of the terror sect, Boko Haram, are to spend the next three to 31 years in jail for terrorism.

    A Federal High Court sitting in Kainji, Niger State, yesterday handed down the verdicts at the conclusion of the first phase of the trial during which 575 Boko Haram suspects were arraigned.

    Information and Culture Minister,  Lai Mohammed, said 468 other suspects who had no case to answer, were discharged and acquitted.

    34 cases were struck out while 28 suspects were remanded for trial in Abuja and Minna.  The court ordered that the 468 discharged persons should undergo deradicalization and rehabilitation programmes before they are handed over to their respective state governments.

    The trial commenced with the formal remand by the court of 1,669 suspects for a period of 90 days, with the court ordering that they be arraigned within the specified period or released unconditionally.

    The court adjourned the trial of other suspects to January 2018.

    More than 2,300 suspected members of the jihadist group were listed for arraignment from Monday in unprecedented mass trials behind closed doors.

    The defendants have been picked up and held in detention since the start of the conflict eight years ago.

  • House help jailed 13 years for burglary, theft

    An Igbosere Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, has sentenced a house help, Anna Payaro, to a total of 13 years imprisonment with hard labour for burglary and theft of her employer’s $5,000.

    Payaro, 28, was found guilty on a five-count charge of conspiracy, burglary, breaking, entering and stealing.

    Following a 10-month trial, Chief Magistrate K.O. Matepo sentenced her to two years imprisonment each on counts one to four and five years on count five, with hard labour, totalling 13 years.

    But Payaro will spend only five years in jail, because the sentences are to run concurrently.

    The convict was arraigned by the police on June 6, 2016, and re-arraigned on a substituted charge on November 22, 2016.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Cyriacus Osuji told the court that Payaro and her accomplices, who are still at large, conspired to commit the offences on May 27, 2016, at Goshen Estate, Lekki Lagos.

    Osuji said she broke into the residence of her boss, Mr Olatunde Adepoju, while he and his family were abroad.

    According to him, Payaro stole Adepoju’s jewellery valued at N1.2million, a cash sum of $5000, and N300,000.

    During the trial, one of the estate’s executives, Mrs Teniola Jaiyeola, testified that she heard the convict talking to her accomplice about the incident.

    Jaiyeola said “When I saw the broken wall and Payaro told me that it was a burglar that broke into the house, I told her that the opening at the broken wall was too small for even a baby’s head to enter.

    “I later overheard her telling someone on phone that ‘They said that the wall you broke is too small, for  a baby’s head to enter.’”

  • Boy jailed for stealing church’s property

    Boy jailed for stealing church’s property

    An Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has sentenced a boy, Muideen Nasiru, to 39 months imprisonment for stealing aluminum frames and other items, worth N500,000, from a church.

    The Magistrate, Mrs O.K. Omotosho, sentenced Nasiru, 18, after he pleaded guilty to a three-count charge of conspiracy, break-in and stealing.

    Omotosho said the convict should spend his prison term at Agodi Prisons, Ibadan.

    “The young boy is a thief, no doubt; he has a godfather, who buys stolen items from him.

    “The society will be better for it if he is incarcerated; he may learn a thing or two in prison.

    “He is hereby sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on count one, 18 months on count two and 18 months on count three,” she said.

    Omotosho held that the sentence should run concurrently.

    Police prosecutor Olalekan Adegbite told the court that the accused committed the offences with others at large at Christ’s Ambassador Church, Inalende, Ibadan.

    He said the accused stole four church bells, a drum set, window frames and four gas lamps.

    Adegbite said the property belonged to the complainant, Rev. Faith Ikumapayi, the church founder.

    The offences contravene sections 390 (9), 415’and 516 of the Criminal Law of Oyo State, 2,000.