The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Levi Animoku

  • Kogi court remands Boko Haram member

    Kogi court remands Boko Haram member

    A Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court has ordered the remand of a suspected Boko Haram member, Mustapha Adinoyi over alleged involvement in terrorist activities and illegal possession of firearms.

    Chief Magistrate Levi Animoku, who gave the order after the state Counsel had arraigned the accused in Lokoja, described the alleged offence as “a fearful one”.

    He said that Boko Haram activities had claimed lives of many Nigerians adding, that ”Bail is not granted as a matter of course. The offence is grievous and carries high penalty.

    “The presumptuous of innocence notwithstanding, I refuse the bail of the accused. Consequently, the accused shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe,” he said.

    Animoku, thereafter, adjourned the case until Oct. 17 for mention.

    Earlier, the prosecution led by Mohammed Abaji of the state Ministry of Justice told the court that Adinoyi was arrested following intelligence reports by a joint team of the Nigerian Army and the DSS.

    Abaji said that Adinoyi’s handset and SIM card analysis further revealed that he had several meetings with one Dauda Momoh also known as “General”, a Boko Haram commander on the wanted list of the DSS.

    He said that the accused also took the commander to the house of another member of the gang, one Abdul fatai where two single barrel guns, one toy gun, six assorted SIM cards and other weapons were recovered.

    The counsel prayed the court to take cognisance of the offences of criminal conspiracy contrary to Section 97(1) of the Penal Code and belonging to terrorist group contrary to Section four of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.

    The alleged offences also included illegal possession of firearms contrary to Section three of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act CAP R11 2004.

  • University dropout remanded over alleged kidnapping in Kogi

    A 31-year-old university dropout, Dick Onuku, who allegedly kidnapped one Makama Adamu, and collected 12 million from his family, is to remain in prison pending the determination of his case.

    A Chief Magistrate, Mr. Levi Animoku, gave the order in Lokoja after rejecting the suspect’s bail application.

    He described the crime as heinous, and declared that kidnapping was “one of the horrifying social vices prevalent in the society, especially Kogi”.

    “It has often led to deaths of innocent Nigerian citizens,’’ he stressed.

    He said that the presumption of innocence, as argued by G.O. Adih, counsel to the accused, was not absolute.

    “The offence carries high penalty and the propensity to elope justice is high.

    “Therefore, bail is refused. The accused shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe,’’ he stated.

    Animoku adjourned the case to April 4, for mention.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Mohammed Abaji, in his objection to the bail application, had urged the court to take cognizance of the severe nature of the case.

    He said that the accused, in the company of others, now at large, while armed with dangerous weapons, including guns and cutlasses, kidnapped Adamu, a resident of Otukpo road, at Opulega in Ankpa Local Government of Kogi.

    He said that the accused, who gave his address as Theo Plaza, Duste Alaji, FCT, Abuja committed the offence on February 13.

    Abaji said that Onuku and his gang forcefully abducted Adamu, blindfolded and took him to an unknown destination from where they put a phone call to the family, demanding N12 million as ransom.

    “Investigation led to the arrest of the accused, who made a confessional statement on how the operation was planned, executed and how the ransom of N12 million was shared among the members,’’ the prosecutor said.

    Abaji told the court that the accused was a student of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, but was later withdrawn.

    He said that the offence contravened Section 97(1), 305 of the Penal Code and 4(3) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences (Prohibition) Law, 2015.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty, while his counsel, Adih, applied for his bail pursuant to the provisions of Section 36(5) of the Constitution and 341(2 and 3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

    Under Kogi State laws, kidnapping attracts life imprisonment on conviction.

     

  • Mechanic in court for allegedly snatching woman’s bag

    Mechanic in court for allegedly snatching woman’s bag

    An 18-year-old mechanic, Moses Bernard, was on Tuesday arraigned in a Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly snatching a woman’s handbag containing a phone worth N32,500.

    Bernard, of no fixed address, is facing a charge of stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Tuesday Ganagana told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 7:30am on November 8.

    Ganagana said that the case was reported at the ‘C’ Division Police Station, Lokoja, by one Ladi Musa of the state High Court, Lokoja.

    He said that Musa of Old Poly Quarters, Lokoja, was on her way to the office when the accused and one Chimo, now at large, snatched her handbag.

    He said the bag valued at N7,000 contained the phone, one MTN Phone and N5,000 cash.

    Counsel to the accused, Mu’azu Abbas, urged the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms.

    The Chief Magistrate, Levi Animoku, while granting the accused bail said, “the accused has also pledged through his counsel to comply with the bail terms.’’

    “Bail is not a discharge and neither is it an acquittal.

    “Consequently, the accused is admitted to bail in the sum of N50,000 with a reliable surety in like sum.

    “The surety must be a civil servant, resident in Lokoja, and with a well-defined address,” Animoku added.

    The case was adjourned till December 6 for the mention.

  • Monarch, 18 others held for ex-FRCN man’s murder

    A monarch and 18 others were yesterday remanded in prison custody by a Lokoja Chief Magistrate’s Court for the alleged murder of a former Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Isa Edime and a leader of a vigilance group, Muhammed Wada.

    The accused are from Ojikpadala Egume village in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    The Chief Magistrate, Levi Animoku, ordered that they be remanded upon their arraignment by the police

    The accused were charged with criminal conspiracy, trespassing and culpable homicide.

    The prosecutor, Samuel Ikutanwa, told the court that on May 27, Mrs. Mary Edime reported at the Divisional Police Office at Egume and Department of Criminal Investigation, Lokoja that she and her husband were watching television in their sitting room, when the accused and others at large stormed their house with weapons.

    Ikutanwa said: “Mrs. Edime said the accused, armed with AK 47 rifles, cutlasses and axes, dragged her husband into their bus and drove off with him to an unknown destination.

    “She was on her way to the station to lodge a complaint, when she was informed that his body has been found at Abadigba village on Egume/Anyingba road.”

    According to the prosecutor, two phones and 31 expended empty shells of AK 47 rifle were recovered from them.

    Ikutanwa said the accused also “killed” Muhammed Bawa.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty; the prosecutor urged the court not to grant them bail.

    Their lead counsel, Alfred Shehu Akpala, urged the court to grant his clients bail, saying an accused is presumed innocent, until proven otherwise.

    He argued that 19 persons could not have killed the deceased at the same time and that the police merely prepared the first information report to punish the suspects.

    Animoku said Section 341 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code states that a court is precluded from granting bail for an offence punishable by death.

    He ordered that they be remanded at the Federal Prison Dekina, transferred the case to the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Dekina and adjourned  till June 9.