The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kogi State

  • Unease over alleged motorcyclists’ death in civil defense custody

    An air of unease has enveloped the Ogaminana area in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, following the alleged murder of a commercial motorcyclist, Onimisi Ilori, by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), over the weekend.

    Eyewitness account had it that a complaint was lodged at the Ogaminana divisional office of the civil defense corps, by the owner of the motorcycle, who alleged that the deceased bolted with his machine.

    The operatives were said to have thereafter invited the suspect to their office for interrogation.

    The suspect was said to have told the operatives that the motorcycle was stolen from where he parked it the previous day and that he reported the theft to the owner.

    Ilori was said to have been beaten and later detained in the NSCDC cell where he was allegedly tortured to death.

    As news of his death filtered into the town, it was gathered that motorcyclists in the town invaded the NSCDC office chanting war songs and demanding the release of the corpse of their colleague, while some of them were said to have taken to the highway, obstructing the free flow of traffic.

    It was gathered that but for the quick intervention of anti-riot policemen who were drafted to the scene, the situation could have degenerating.

    When contacted, spokesman of the NSCDC, Kogi State command, Alex Agiri confirmed the incident, adding that the command was investigating the incident.

    He however called back later, saying that the incident never occured.

  • Court orders Melaye to be moved to Abuja

    The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja, on Friday ordered that the Senator representing Kogi West be moved the National Hospital Abuja.

    The judge also adjourned till Monday 7th May, for continuation of hearing in a written bail application filled by his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), asking for variation of the remand order placed him.

    This followed Thursday’s refusal to grant bail to the Senator Melaye, when he was arraigned before the Senior Magistrate Court 2, sitting in Lokoja on a seven-count charge bothering on criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of fire arms.

    The Chief Justice of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajanah who presided over the proceedings, said that in view of the critical health conditions as espoused by the counsel to the applicant, he should be moved to the National Hospital, Abuja for proper medical attention.

    Earlier, counsel to the defendant, Chief Ozekhome had argued that Senator Melaye is a chronic asthmatic patient who gasped for breath on Thursday while being arraigned and had to be given his inhaler right there in the courtroom and in the presence of the trial magistrate, Sulyman Abdaklah.

  • Police arraigns Dino Melaye for allegedly attempting escape, destroying vehicle

    *Gets N90m bail

     

    The police on Wednesday arraigned Senator Dino Melaye before a Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    He was accused, in a First Information Report (FIR), of destroying the side glass of a police vehicle, attempting to kill himself by allegedly jumping off a moving vehicle and allegedly resisting arrest.

    He is said to have committed offences punishable under Sections 148, 153, 172, 173, 231 and 326 of the Penal Code Act.

    The FIR reads: “On the 24th of April 2018, about 1330hrs at Area One roundabout Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, you Senator Dino Melaye of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while being conveyed in a Police White Hilux Bus with Registration number NPF 3354 D to Lokoja,  Kogi State, to be arraigned in court for conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms in charge Number CMCL/14SC/2018 filed at the Chief Magistrate Court Lokoja, you Senator Dino Melaye intentionally broke the side windscreen of the bus and jumped out of the bus after it was blocked by a Hilux Vehicle with registration number Kaduna MKA 603 GY occupied by your younger brother Samuel Melaye and one Barrister Amefula David Emeka and driven by yet to be unidentified person who escaped from the scene after the blockade.

    “You Senator Dino Melaye after breaking the side windscreen attempted to kill yourself by jumping out of the bus and fell on the ground and thereafter started shouting that you want to kill yourself and implicate the Police for your death.

    “That Police Officers who were escorting you in the bus tried to re-arrest you back to the bus, but you resisted further arrest with the help of your brother Samuel Melaye and some lawyers in your company and further threatened to injure the Police officers if they try to further arrest you and you finally escaped from the scene in another Hilux vehicle.”

    When the FIR was read to him, Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pleaded not guilty.

    Melaye, dressed in native attire, was brought to court in a Police ambulance, and on a stretcher. The ambulance was marked: NPF2214D. He lay on the stretcher throughout the about an hour proceedings.

    He was brought to court under heavy security. Entry and exit into the court premises was unusually restrained by the heavily armed riot policemen, numbering about 200, drafted to the court.

    Shortly after Melaye pleaded to the information, lead prosecuting lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN) sought date for trial.

    Defence lawyer, Nkem Okoro prayed the court to hear the bail application he filed for his client.

    Okoro, while moving the application, argued that since his client is not charged with capital offence, he is entitled to bail.

    He cited Section 162 of Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ) Act, which sets out conditions to be considered before a bail application is granted or refused.

    Iziyon objected to the bail application and urged the court to reject it.

    Ruling, Magistrate Mabel Segun-Bello noted that bail is now liberalised under ACJA.

    The magistrate said:”taking a look at provision of Section 162 of ACJA, the prosecution counsel has not proven any reasonable apprehension that would warrant the court from denying the defendant bail.

    “The prosecution counsel has placed nothing before the court to show why the defendant should not be granted bail.

    “There is no evidence tendered before this court to substantiate the prosecution counsel’s claim that the defendant will jump bail.”

    The magistrate said the prosecuting lawyer has not convinced the court as to how the defendant was likely to influence prosecution witnesses in the cause of his trial, if released on bail.

    Mrs. Segun-Bello proceeded to grant Melaye bail at N90million with two sureties in like sum.

    The magistrate said one of the sureties must be a civil servant not lower than Great Level 14, and that the other must have easily identifiable residence in Abuja.

    Mrs. Segun-Bello ordered that Melaye must deposit his international passport with the FCT Police Command.

    She further ordered the defendant to report at the Wuse police command every working day of the week until same is altered by the court.

    The magistrate adjourned to June 6.

    After the court’s proceedings, Melaye and his supporters remained in the courtroom for some hours, while his lawyer and others made frantic efforts to meet the bail condition.

    Notable faces at the court with Melaye were Senators Ben Bruce (PDP, Bayelsa) and Abiodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekitit). The entrance to the courtroom was secured by about 10 riot policemen armed with AK47 rifles.

    At about 4:20pm, Melaye was moved out of the courtroom, accompanied by the armed policemen, into the waiting ambulance packed within the court premises.

    The vehicle was immediately driven away by a policeman, followed by a long convoy of police vehicles, with siren blaring.

     

  • Recall: Melaye thanks constituents for shunning exercise

    Sen. Dino Melaye has thanked the people of his constituency for “rising to his defence” by shunning the verification exercise held on April 28 to recall him from the Senate.

    Melaye, in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday, also thanked the political leaders, elders and traditional rulers in Kogi West for “rescuing him from his political enemies.”

    He also expressed gratitude to the media , observers, civil society groups, security agents and other stakeholders “for resisting to be used against the wishes of the people of his constituency”.

    The statement was signed by Mr Gideon Ayodele, Special Assistant on Media to Melaye.

    “We thank all democratic partners who have resisted the attempted external political robbery and brazen impunity from raising its most ugly head.

    “We commend the resolve of our people who have by their popular wish and wisdom and political independence rejected the selfish and satanic recall.

    “The verification exercise has come and gone and the people of Kogi west have willingly exercised their franchise by re-validating the election of Sen Dino Melaye,” the lawmaker said.

    According to him, the exercise no doubt, has shown that, power truly belongs to the people.

    “We wish to equally, commend INEC for resisting forgery in some parts while the exercise was going on, and for finally allowing the wish of the people to prevail as expressed,” it said.

    He urged the proponents of his recall to accept the results in good faith and face the task of providing the elusive democratic dividends to the people.

    The senator, however, advised his supporters to remain calm and humble in the face of victory and avoid hot arguments or action that may lead to the breakdown of law and order.

    NAN

  • Melaye recall: Kogi PDP denounce process, urge members to stay away

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi State chapter has called on members to shun what it described as the government contrived recall process of Senator Dino Melaye.

    The party on Friday in a statement by its Director, Research and Documentation, Achadu Dickson, labelled the planned recall of the member representing the Kogi West Senatorial district, as a hoax, and urged members to kick against it.

    It dissociated itself from the recall process, describing it as undemocratic and a display of executive recklessness against opposing voices.

    The PDP asserted that it is in support of the embattled APC senator in exposing bad governance that has characterized the Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration in Kogi.

    It said that Senator Melaye’s message of inept leadership and bad governance that has brought the state to its lowest ebb, “only goes to reinforce the PDP’s position that Kogi is now a failed state, and made a laughing stock among comity of states in Nigeria.

    The statement called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, not to lend themselves as tools in the forceful plan to deny the people of Kogi West the right to elected representation, without necessarily being at the mercy of the executive arm of government.

    It urged members to remain peaceful and law abiding, and not to succumb to intimidation from mischief makers in achieving the recall.

  • Arms mop-up: Police recover 457 guns

    The Kogi State Police Command on Thursday in Lokoja presented 457 assorted arms and ammunition recovered from mop up exercise.

    They included 21 AK47, 14 pump action riffles, eight double barrel guns, 69 single barrel guns, 166 dane guns, 134 locally made pistols, 40 pistols, one G3 gun and four Barretta Pistols.

    Presenting the recovered arms before pressmen at the command headquarters, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ali Janga said that the exercise was in a compliance with the directive of the Inspector General of Police.

    His words: “This exercise was based on the directive of the Inspector General of Police, on the disarmament and recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons in the possession of all suspected militias, bandits, vigilante group, neighbourhood watch and other group of individuals”.

    He said that the command embarked on aggressive mop up and recovery of prohibited firearms and ammunition in circulation across the state.

    “Bearing prohibited firearms and ammunition, illegal weapons and lethal devices whether locally fabricated, modified or that can cause harm or injury to persons or cause panic, fear, and security breach, breach of peace or cause threat to law and order anywhere in the country, will not be allow”, he warned.

    The CP said that the exercise was successfully carried out by the officers of the command, particularly the men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS), led by DSP Babagana Bukar.

    Relatedky, the operatives of SARS arrested one Ibrahim Achimugu with a firearm along Obajana area.

    The suspect, according the police CP, confessed to have purchased the firearm from a 25 year-old gun runner named Inusa Abdullahi of Kajuru LG, Kaduna State.

    He said, “The gun runner has confessed to have been in the business for over 10 years in Kogi State. He also confessed to have manufactured and repaired several firearms from members of the public and criminals”.

    According to him, some of the recovered arms were voluntarily submitted by individuals whose names he did not mention.

  • KSU Medical Students protest over non-accreditation of Course

    Medical students of Kogi State University, Anyigba on Monday demonstrated their grievances over non accreditation of their course which has put all the medical students of the institution in a state of stagnancy and confusion for over five years.

    This is due to non-availability of equipment needed which has hindered the students to participate in an examination to qualify them for clinical training in the teaching hospital. The protest according to source is a call to the state government to expedite actions for the accreditation of the college of medicine by Medical and Dental Council.

    The protest which held at the premises of the University Senate Building was later put to an end around 2pm after the intervention of the faculty of medicine provost, Professor (Mrs) Margaret Araoye who addressed the protesters and urged them to put an end to the protest for today while they moved to the faculty for a brief meeting with the faculty board.

    It will be recalled that the course was introduced into the institution during the administration of Governor Idris Wada, former governor of the State before the present administration of Governor Yahaya Bello while it was also added to the Joint Admission and Matriculation (JAMB) Brochure for the past five years while it is yet to be accredited by the National University Commission.

    When contacted on phone, the former PRO of Kogi State University Medical Students Association (KSUMSA) Comrade Ogiri Boniface assured our reporter that the students will continue with the protest everyday until their plights is being addressed.

    All effort to speak with the Provost for the outcome of the meeting proved abortive as she was very busy.

  • Jibril: Kogi lost a worthy son – Deputy Governor

    The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Elder Simon Achuba has described the late member representing Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Buba Umar Jibril as a worthy son of the state.

    He described the late lawmaker as a hardworking politician who impacted positively on the lives of his people.

    Achuba who stated this on Thursday in Lokoja, during the eight-day prayer of the late Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, said the lawmaker made his mark as the representative of the people both at state and the national assembly levels.

    He said his contributions at the floor of the House of Representatives would be missed greatly, and called on other political office holders to see their positions as a call to service.

    In attendance was the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, running mate to late Prince Abubakar Audu, Hon. James Faleke, former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Idris Wada, former Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi and several other members of House of Representatives.

     

  • Police declare Senator Dino Melaye wanted

    The Nigeria Police, Kogi state Command on Wednesday declared the senator representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye wanted.

    Addressing newsmen Wednesday in Lokoja, the Commissioner of Police, Mr.  Ali Janga confirmed that Melaye have been declared wanted.

    Read Also: Suspects in Dino Melaye gun case escape from police custody

  • Alleged bribery: ‘Judge’s bank account’ is mine, says Tarfa’s witness

     

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Wednesday heard that an account into which Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr Rickey Tarfa deposited N225,000, belongs to a lawyer and not Justice Mohammed Nasir Yinusa.

    Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Mohammed Auwal Yinusa, told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that he was shocked to read in the newspapers that his Access Bank account number was quoted as belonging to the judge.

    Yinusa, Tarfa’s former employee between 2011 and 2014, testified as the second defence witness in the SAN’s trial for alleged gratification.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Tarfa on March 10, 2016 on a 27-count charge which was subsequently amended to 26 counts.

    He was accused of alleged willful obstruction of EFCC officials, refusal to declare assets and giving false information to a public officer, by lying about his age.

    According to the EFCC, the Silk paid N225,000 in 2014 into an Access Bank account it said belonged to Federal High Court judge, Justice Yinusa.

    The agency also alleged, among others, that Tarfa offered N5.3 million as gratification to Justice hyeladzira Nganjiwa in order to compromise the judge.

    It claimed that Tarfa transferred the money in several tranches between June 27, 2012 and December 23, 2014.

    Tarfa pleaded not guilty.

    On March 13, Justice Akintoye summoned Tarfa’s witnesses so he could open his defence.

    This followed the dismissal of his no-case submission last February 9.

    At the commencement of proceedings yesterday, Tarfa’s counsel, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko SAN, led Yinusa in Examination-in-Chief.

    Yinusa said he left Tarfa’s employ in 2014 for further studies abroad, following which the SAN gifted him N225,000 to support his education.

    He explained that he is the owner of the Access Bank account into which the N225,000 which the EFCC claimed that Tarfa bribed a judge with, was paid, and not Justice Yinusa.

    Yinusa said: “I found that my Access Bank account was quoted in that publication. I was in a state of shock.”

    He added that he rushed to his bank and obtained a certified true copy of his statement of account, which showed that it was indeed his account that was quoted by the EFCC.

    Yinusa said: “I was shocked, my Lord, because I am not a judge, I never received gratification from the defendant. My name is Mohammed Auwal Yinusa. The judge’s name is Mohammed Nasir Yinusa. I am not related to him. He is from Yobe State; I am Igalla from Kogi State. Untill recently when I saw him on television, I had never set my eyes on him.”

    Under cross examination by prosecution counsel Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, Yinusa said other payments the Silk allegedly made to any other judge, were were not made through his bank account.

    Justice Akintoye adjourned till today for re-examination of the witness.

    Earlier, Yinusa’s relationship officer from Access Bank, Abisola Olutade, testified as the first defence witness.

    Her testimony was preceded by a National Judicial Council staff, Olufolake Saleh Ahmed, who tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and a revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of Nigeria.