The Nation Newspaper

Tag: land grabber

  • Court threatens bench warrant against suspected land grabber

    Court threatens bench warrant against suspected land grabber

    Justice Adenike Coker of an Ikeja High Court has threatened to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of an alleged land grabber, Moroof Owonla, and his cohorts, for their persistent absence in court.

    The trial judge ordered the state prosecutor to ensure the presence Owonla in court at the next adjourned date of April 15, failure of which she said a bent warrant will be issued against him.

    Justice Coker issued the threat following Owonla’s disregard for court orders over an alleged felony case leveled against him and two others.

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    The matter has suffered a series of adjournments owing to the non-appearance of the defendants in court.

    At the last adjourned date, Justice Coker had ordered the defence counsel to produce the defendant. However, when the matter came up yesterday, the state prosecutor, T. O. Adeyegbe, informed the court that the Attorney-General had directed the matter be forwarded to Restorative Justice to see if a resolution can be achieved.

  • Judge summons land grabber to appear in court Jan. 30 

    Judge summons land grabber to appear in court Jan. 30 

    By Adebisi Onanuga and Elizabeth Eze

    Justice Adenike Coker of an Ikeja High Court has ordered a suspected land grabber, Moroof Owonla aka Kaka, to appear in court on January 30, 2024.

    Justice Coker summoned the suspected land grabber following his absence in court in two suits, criminal and fundamental human rights, brought against him by the state.

    The judge directed the defence counsel, Ms Oyetayo Eboh, representing Moroof in a fundamental human right case, to produce him in court on the next adjourned date.

    The counsel, who was not aware of the criminal matter against her client, said she heard the defendant’s name when the matter was called by the registrar.

    Eboh said she was not sure it was her client, because she was in court in respect of a fundamental human rights matter against the same suspect.

    Justice Coker said the state government was working to bring together multiple cases against any individual in a court to give them a fuller perspective.

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    Moroof was alleged to have on August 5, 2022, in the company with two others, unlawfully invaded a hotel situated in Ayobo area of Lagos and destroyed over 30 apartments and other properties worth N32 million. 

    The judge said she asked for the court registrars to call the case regarding a fundamental human rights allegation against the said defendant on the same date to rule out all discrepancies in both cases.

    “Lagos State government wants to bring all cases pertaining to one person together to give the court a kaleidoscope view of the story.

    “Cases about one person should be heard in one court,” the judge added.

    Earlier, during the hearing of the criminal suit against Moroof, the judge ordered the prosecution, led by Titi Adeyegbe, to take necessary steps to produce the defendant in court on the next adjourned date, January 24, 2024.

    Eboh had told the court that

    the defence counsel representing Moroof in the second suit,  was not aware that the case would come up before the judge.

    Justice Coker asked Eboh to take note of the connection of both cases in respect of the defendant.

    In the first matter, the state government introduced a fresh suit against Moroof, a suspected notorious land grabber, and other respondents, including Ganiyu Aminu and Olu-Aminu Yemisi Abdulaziz.