The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kirikiri Prisons

  • Court remands ex-convict in prison over robbery

    An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday remanded a 22-year-old ex-convict, Sodiq Kolade, in prison for allegedly robbing a man of valuables worth N44, 000 at gunpoint.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs F. Williams, who gave  the ruling, said the accused should be kept in Kirikiri Prisons pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    She directed that the case file should be duplicated and a copy sent to the DPP.

    The accused, who is unemployed, is a resident of No. 16, Kano St., Oyingbo, Ebute Meta on Lagos Mainland.

    He is facing a two-count charge bordering on armed robbery.

    Earlier, Police Prosecutor Nomayo Kenrich told the court that the accused committed the offences with others still at large on April 14 at 4.30 a.m. at No. 78, Kadara St., Oyingbo.

    Kenrich alleged that the accused, who was armed with a gun and an iron cutter, robbed a man, James Maduabuchi of his Techno phone valued at N22, 000 and N22, 000.

    “The complainant and his younger brother were baking pies when the accused suddenly entered and robbed them of their valuables.

    “The complainant raised an alarm and with the help of some passersby they were able to arrest the accused, while others ran away,” he said.

    The prosecutor said the accused, who had once been arrested for armed robbery, was recently released from Kirikiri Prisons in January.

    The offences contravened Sections 297(2) and 299(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 297 (2) prescribes 21 years jail term for offenders.

    The case has been adjourned until June 14 for DPP’s advice.

  • Driver docked for reckless driving, manslaughter

    An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday remanded a commercial motor driver, Nwagu Nsude, in Kirikiri Prisons for allegedly driving recklessly and causing the death of a seven-month-old baby.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Jadesola Adeyemi-Ajayi, did not take the plea of the accused, but ordered him to be remanded in prison.

    The accused,59, who resides at 101, Anuoluwapo St., Ajasa Command, a Lagos suburb, is being tried for reckless driving, manslaughter and damages.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Raji Akeem, had told the court that the offences were committed on April 12 along Iyana Ipaja road, Lagos.

    Read Also: Man gets 10 strokes for stealing Quran, shoes

    Akeem said that the accused drove in a reckless way thereby hitting a tricycle with five passengers on board.

    “The accused hit the tricycle from behind and immediately it somersaulted, a seven months old baby died immediately.

    “The other four passengers and the driver were seriously injured, “he said.

    Akeem said that the accused was about to escape when passers-by apprehend him when the police met them at the scene.

    The offences contravened Sections 27, 29, and 45 of the Road Traffic Law of Lagos State, 2012.

    Adeyemi adjourned the case until May 23 for advice from the Director of public prosecutions (DPPs).

  • Lawyer, two others remanded in prison over N155m fraud

    Lawyer, two others remanded in prison over N155m fraud

    An Ikeja high court has remanded a lawyer, Idowu Adebayo Micheal and two others in Kirikiri Prisons over their alleged involvement in N155million fraud.

    Others remanded in prison on the order of the court are Mukaila Fakos and Rasaq Sefiu Adesina.
    Justice Hakeem Oshodi ordered their remand following their ’not guilty plea’ to an eleven count charge preferred against them by the Police.

    Their offences bordered on conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose, fraudulent disposal of trust property, stealing, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and uttering of false document.

    The defendants were said to have conspired sometimes in 2009, to “unlawfully effected sale of a property of No 2, Kayode Taiwo Street, Magodo, Lagos without permission or consent of the owner”.

    The police alleged that Engineer Adesina and Fakos sold the landed property to Barrister Idowu Adebayo Micheal for N35 million and fraudulently converted the money to their own use and benefit.

    Part of the charge read that, “Mukaila Fakos, Engr. Rasak Sefiu Adesina, Barrister Idowu Adebayo Micheal, Babatunde Smith (at large) and Adigun Smith (at large), sometimes in 2010 in Ikeja conspired to obtained the sum of N120 million from one Lanre Obisesan by false pretence when you know you were not authorised to do so by the true owners unlawful sale of Mr Idowu Musiliu Ololape Balogun and Musbal Nig. Ltd’s property to him.”

    The prosecution also alleged that the defendants obtained N120million from Obisesan by falsely representing to him that they were authorised to sell the land property at No 5c Micheal Ogun Street, GRA, Ikeja.

    They were further alleged to have forged a document titled; “Special Resolution of Musbal Nigeria Limited” dated December 8, 2010,  “Form CAC 7” and “Consent Letter by Ayoola Fakos” and uttered false document to Guarantee Trust Bank through a staff of the bank to act upon as genuine.

    After their ‘not guilty plea’, prosecution counsel, Mr Emmanuel Jackson asked the court for short adjournment for trial and prayed the court to remand the defendants.

    However, counsel to the defendants, Lawal Pedro (SAN) in his response told the court that the third defendant, Barrister Micheal, had filed application for bail.

    The trial judge thereafter adjourned hearing of the bail application for the third defendant till February 26, 2018.

    He  ordered the defendants to be remanded in prison custody until next adjourned date.

    Read Also:Lawyer petitions ICPC over FMC Owo contract

  • Court convicts 87-year-old woman of drug trafficking

    Court convicts 87-year-old woman of drug trafficking

    Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Thursday convicted an 87 year-old woman, Maria Seriki, of  dealing in 10.3 kg of Cannabis Sativa.

    The judge, however, ordered that the convict be remanded at the Lagos State Old People’s Home, pending the time a member of her family, willing to take proper care of her, applied to the court for her custody.

    The convict, a resident of Oto-Awori, in Ijanikin, Lagos, had on Nov. 7, pleaded guilty to a one count charge of trafficking 10.3kg of Cannabis,  also known as hemp.

    She was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ).

    After her plea, the prosecutor, Mr Aliyu Abubakar, had urged the court to adjourn the matter, for a review of the fact of the case.

    At the resumed hearing of the case, the prosecutor tendered some exhibits which included the convict’s statements, a drug test analysis and the bulk of the substance seized from her, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

    After admitting the exhibits, the court pronounced the 87 years old woman, convicted as charged.

    However, the convict’s lawyer, Mr Prosper Ojakovo, in his plea for mercy of the convict , urged the court to be lenient in sentencing her.

    He told the court that she was a first time offender, who had nobody to take care of her.

    He pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, and consider her age in sentencing.

    In her judgment, Shagari stated that sending her to prison would not be of any benefit, especially considering her age.

    The judge, consequently ordered that the convict be remanded at the Lagos State Old People’s Home, Yaba.

    In another matter, Shagari sentenced a 56-year-old woman, Anya Nneoma, to 12 months imprisonment, for unlawfully dealing in 5.5 kg of hemp.

    Anya, a resident of Badagry, had also pleaded guilty on a charge of illegal dealing in hemp.

    The judge said the convict should be sent to the female section of the kirikiri Prisons, Lagos.

    NAN

  • American who allegedly scammed three Nigerians of $565,000 gets bail

    American who allegedly scammed three Nigerians of $565,000 gets bail

    An American, Marco Ramirez,  who allegedly defrauded three Nigerians of 565,000 dollars in an American Green Card scam was granted bail on Monday.

    Ramirez was granted bail in the sum of $250,000 by an Ikeja High Court.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ramirez was earlier remanded at the Kirikiri Prisons, after his arraignment on June 22 over the alleged scam.

    Justice Josephine Oyefeso while granting the bail said: “the defendant is hereby granted $250,000 bail or its naira equivalent with two sureties in like sum.

    “The current exchange rate should be put into consideration.

    “One of the sureties should be resident in Lagos, be a director of a reputable company and have landed property in Lagos State.

    “The sureties must show evidence of source of livelihood and swear to an affidavit to show same.

    “A copy of the ruling should be sent to all immigration agencies both land and air.

    “The defendant must report to the Lagos or Abuja offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) once a week.”

    NAN recalls that the EFCC had slammed a 16-count charge, bordering on obtaining 565,000 dollars under false presences from three Nigerians to get them American green card.

    Ramirez, the Managing Director of three companies – USA Now Plc., Eagleford Instalodge Group and USA Now Capital Group – committed the offences between February 2013 and August 2013, according to the EFCC.

    The American was alleged to have fraudulently received 545,000 dollars from one Amb. Godson Echejue to invest in Ramirez’s company.

    The plan was to procure an American green card (permanent residence card) for the Nigerian.

    Ramirez also allegedly received 10,000 dollars from one Abubakar Umar through a non-existent investment programme in the U.S. which would make Umar eligible to obtain an American passport

    The EFCC also accused Ramirez of illegally receiving 10,000 dollars from one Olukayode Sodimu on the pretext that the funds were facilitation fees with the American Immigration Services for an American Green Card.

    Oyefeso adjourned the case until Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 for continuation of trial.

  • FG frowns at Amnesty International’s call to halt inmates’ execution

    FG frowns at Amnesty International’s call to halt inmates’ execution

    Foreign Affairs Ministry has frowned on call by Amnesty International (AI) on the Federal Government to halt the planned execution of some inmates on death row in Lagos State.

    The Ministry made the remark in a statement issued by Amb. Olushola Enikanolaiy, its Permanent Secretary on Friday in Abuja.

    Enikanolaye stated that the AI had on April 21, urged the Federal Government to establish an official moratorium, with a view to abolishing the death penalty.

    The permanent secretary, however, said that the Lagos State Government had yet to officially confirm its intention to carry out executions at the Kirikiri Prisons.

    According to him, Federal Government acknowledges the growing global preference for the abolition of death penalty.

    He said that the Federal Government was aware that total abolition of the capital punishment was yet to be established as a globally acceptable human rights norm.

    Enikanolaye said the claim by the AI that death penalty was an outdated and cruel punishment which violated the right to life was just propaganda by the organisation.

    He said that AI by its claim ignored the rights of the traumatised family members of victims of violent crimes and rather threw its weight behind those who committed heinous crimes against Nigerians.

    Enikanolaye explained that death penalty, as contained in Article 6 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights was an exception to the right to life as long as it was not arbitrarily imposed.

    “Furthermore, it is reaffirmed that Nigeria, incontrovertibly possesses the sovereign right to determine its laws and operate a criminal justice system within the rule of law.

    “The imposition of death penalty is a constitutional matter in Nigeria clearly spelt out under Sections 33(1) and 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    “As AI is probably aware, in every democracy, sovereignty belongs to the people,” he said.

    According to him, it is, therefore, repugnant and imprudent for AI to continue condemning Nigeria’s criminal justice system on the basis of AI’s randomly conducted experiment on the use of the death penalty.

    “AI should refocus attention on defending the rights of the traumatised family members of victims of violent crimes, rather than the veiled support for those who have committed heinous crimes against the Nigerian people.

    “The Federal Government of Nigeria remains committed to complying with its international human rights obligations while upholding the Constitution and the demonstrated will of the Nigerian people.

    “The Federal Government has not deviated from its stated position of a self-imposed de facto moratorium on the execution of the death penalty on federal cases following the restoration of democracy in 1999,” he said.

    He, however, noted that the federalist nature of democracy equally makes death penalty the prerogative of the State Governments to impose and execute in accordance with the Constitution.

    According to him, the Federal Government duly recognises that there is no right more sacred than the right to life.

    “Hence, the precondition for imposing the ultimate penalty in Nigeria is conducted with impeccable fairness and propriety, as the Nigerian Judiciary follows an exacting standard and a heightened level of due process in the prosecution of death penalty cases.

    “Thus, the well established safeguards for the prevention of wrongful conviction and execution of the death penalty are fully operational in these cases,” he said.

  • NANS wants FG to address poor social amenities in tertiary institutions

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to the Federal Government to address the issue of student’s welfare, such as poor social amenities in various universities in the country.

    NANS president Chinonso Obasi, who made the call in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said that this would go a long way in creating environment conducive for the Nigerian students to learn.
    “We call on the Federal Government to take the issues of student’s welfare serious.
    “We want the Federal Government to take the infrastructural decay and poor social amenities in various campuses very seriously.
    “ We also want to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to beam the anti-corruption searchlight on the nation’s tertiary institutions,” he said.
    He however, expressed happiness over the unconditional release of 13 students of University of Lagos (UNILAG) from detention at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison.
    A Special Offences Mobile Court in Lagos had on April 1, remanded 13 UNILAG students in Kirikiri Prisons, pending their bail applications.
    The accused persons were alleged to have engaged in unlawful invasion of Television Continental in Lagos.
    They were arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful invasion and disruption of activities which they all pleaded not guilty.
    Obasi said their release came before the expiration of 24-hour ultimatum given to a Special Offences Mobile Court in Lagos to free the students or the union would relocate to the Kirikiri Prisons.
    “Our joy stems mainly from the fact that the gesture from the special court averted what would have undoubtedly sparked off a major students’ unrest in the country.
    “Because we were greatly pained that such a harsh punishment would be handed to long-suffering students at a time of immense socio-economic challenges.
    He therefore, commended the magistrate and the Special Offences Mobile Court for the wisdom and circumspection displayed in the matter.
    The NANS president urged the police authorities to always treat university undergraduates with care and caution, knowing the hard economic and social conditions they go through.
    “Because any attempts to deny students their right of free speech or treat their peaceful protest against high handed policies usually lead to needless violence and destruction of property,”Obasi noted

     

     

  • 32 inmates die in Ikoyi, Kirikiri prisons

    32 inmates die in Ikoyi, Kirikiri prisons

    •Controller: they didn’t have money to buy drugs

    Inability to access funds for proper medication killed 32 prisoners in one year, Lagos State Controller of Prisons, Olumide Tinuoye, said yesterday.

    He told the visiting Prerogative of Mercy Committee led by the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, that the prison officials at times bought drugs for some of the inmates. Others he said, lived on the philanthropy of churches and mosques.

    According to Tinuoye, a female inmate died last month after being on dialysis for over two years.

    He said 7,714 inmates were in prisons across the state. Giving a breakdown, he said 6,047 were awaiting trial, 1,390 convicted, 202 condemned and 75 serving life sentences.

    He said Ikoyi prisons with a capacity of 800 now has 2,508 inmates, with 461 of them convicted and 2,047 awaiting trial. Kirikiri Medium prisons with a capacity of 1,700 has 2,979 inmates, with 2,634 awaiting trial and 345 convicted.

    Speaking with reporters, Kazeem said there was hope for the inmates as the government has raised a committee headed by the Director, Office of the Public Defender (OPD), Mrs Bukola Salami to review the cases of awaiting trials. This he said, was to ensure that the inmates did not remain in prison unjustly or die in the process of waiting.

    Kazeem said he had taken note of the drug situation in the prisons clinics, promising to seek the Ministry of Health’s support to provide drugs for ill inmates.

    The commissioner urged the Federal Government to take more interest in the prisons and work out ways to help those who are ill.

    “We don’t want to experience a prison break in Lagos. The prisons are supposed to reform inmates and not to make them want to break out on the account of ill-health,” he said.

     

  • UNN graduate jailed seven years for selling fake drugs

    UNN graduate jailed seven years for selling fake drugs

    A 35-year-old woman, Clara Onah, was Wednesday sentenced to seven years in prison by the Federal High Court, Lagos for selling fake drugs.

    Onah, from Enugu State, was charged by the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on behalf of the Federal Government.

    A graduate of Microbiology of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a post-graduate student of Mass Communication, Onah resides at No 12, Mosalashi St., Alagbado Lagos.

    She was arraigned on February 15 and pleaded guilty to a five-count charge bordering on possession and sale of fake drugs, offences committed on January 26.

    The prosecutor Mr. Shamaki Umar had told the court that the accused sold fake brand of 200 mg of Amazon Amagyl Metronidazole tablets to members of the public.

    The accused was remanded in prison pending the review of facts.

    Wednesday, Umar reviewed the facts of the case and presented the laboratory analysis of the confiscated drugs which showed that they were fake and contained 20 rather than 200 milligrams

    The convict’s counsel Mr. Chinedu Moore in his allocutus pleaded for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy. He submitted that apart from the fact that she was sick, she was also a first time offender who did not have the intent to manufacture or sell fake drugs.

    Amidst sobs the woman herself also pleaded for mercy, saying she didn’t know the drugs were fake.

    But the prosecutor urged the court to award her the maximum sentence according to the law.

    He said: “When she was asked to show the operatives of NAFDAC where the drugs were being manufactured, she took them to an unknown address that does not exist. When they eventually traced her residence, they discovered items she used in manufacturing the drugs such as weighing scales and labels.

    “With all intent and purposes my lord, she was manufacturing them herself. Therefore, I urge my lord to award maximum sentence as provided by law so as to serve as deterrent to others.”

    In his judgment, Justice (Prof.) Chuka Obiozor said: “I will give you a second chance as a first offender but those who took your drugs and died had no second chance”.

    He reprimanded the convict for being a 2:1 graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka who chose to deal on fake drugs instead of staying in the village to find something worthy to do, if she could not get a decent job in Lagos.

    The judge said: “Clara Onah, you are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the women wing of the Kirikiri Maximum Prison on each of the count charges. They are to run concurrently starting from January 26, when you were arrested and detained.

    “The convict was also fined N50,000 on count five. The prosecution should hold on to the exhibits pending the elapse of the time of appeal of this judgment. At the elapse of appeal window, the prosecution should destroy it.”

    The offences contravened the provisions of section 1(1) (a), 3, and 3 (1) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Unwholesome Processed Foods, (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap 34, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

  • ‎Boko Haram: Kabiru Sokoto accuses FG of frustrating his appeal

    ‎Boko Haram: Kabiru Sokoto accuses FG of frustrating his appeal

    Convicted Boko Haram member, Kabiru Umar (also known as Kabiru Sokoto) has accused agents of the Federal Government of frustrating his efforts to appeal his conviction and sentence.

    Sokoto was on December 20, 2013 sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja in connection with 2011 Christmas day bomb blast that killed about 44 persons and wounded 75 others at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State.

    Justice Ademola had, in his judgment, held that he was satisfied that the Federal Government, successfully established the culpability of the convict beyond every reasonable doubt, noting that Umar had in two earlier separate confessional statements, admitted that he had prior knowledge of the attack.

    The judge noted that Sokoto never showed any remorse for his actions throughout the trial, and described him (Sokoto) as “a pathological liar with no regards for the truth.”

    Dissatisfied, Sokoto filed a notice of appeal before the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

    In a fresh motion on notice filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja by his lawyer, Sheriff Okoh, Sokoto alleged the Comptroller of Prisons and his men have made it impossible to access his lawyer, to enable him perfect his appeal process.

    The motion, which has The Comptroller General of Prisons (CGP) and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as respondents, Sokoto, now being held at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos, wants an order compelling the respondents to allow him access to his lawyer.

    He also seeks a declaration that the respondents’s alleged decision to deny him access to his lawyer was a violation of his right to fair hearing, right to counsel and access to justice.

    In a supporting affidavit deposed to by Okoh, it was alleged that the several applications to the CGP by Sokoto’s lawyer for opportunity to see him had always been turned down.

    “We have made several person contacts with the 1st defendant (CGP), his men: S. N. Nwanchukwu (PSO), E. O. Ogundele) DCG) among others, at the Nigeria Prisons headquarters, Abuja in a bid to persuade them to permit us to see the applicant, but they kept making us indulge in fruitless returns for approvals from the 2nd respondent (AGF) that has not come for over two years.

    “Wherefore, we verily believe that their actions are aimed at ensuring that the applicant’s appeal of his conviction and sentence continues to be frustrated in perpetuity.

    “The applicant’s appeal before the Court of Appeal is being delayed as a result of the conduct of the 1st respondent and men under his command and supervision,” Okoh said.

    Thursday, when the case was called, the trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba observed that there was no evidence in court’s file that the respondents were served with processes (court documents) in the case.

    He directed the applicant’s lawyer to ensure service of the processes on the respondents and return on February 4 for the hearing of the motion.