The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Obi Nwabueze

  • Independence Day bombing: Okah, Nwabueze get life imprisonment

    Independence Day bombing: Okah, Nwabueze get life imprisonment

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, sentenced Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze to life imprisonment for masterminding the Oct. 1, 2010 Independence Day bombing near Eagle Square, Abuja.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole handed down the sentence while delivering judgment in the five counts of terrorism charge preferred against the duo by the Federal Government.

    The Judge held that the prosecution, through the plethora of exhibits tendered and witnesses called, was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubts.

    “I find the defendants guilty as charged and they are accordingly convicted,”Kolawole said.

    The judge said having handed down a life sentence earlier in 2013 to Edmund Ebiware, who had initially stood trial with the convicts; he could not give a lighter sentence to Okah and Nwabueze.

    He said that it was necessary for the maximum sentence to be given in order to ensure that justice was served in the eyes of families of those who died or sustained injuries.

    The judgeo noted that the judiciary could not be aloof to the increasing wave of kidnapping and acts of terrorism, citing the recent abduction of the 110 school girls from Dapchi in Yobe.

    Counsel to Okah and Nwabueze, Emeka Okoroafor and Oghenovo Otemu had prayed the court to show the convicts mercy, owing to the fact that they were first time offenders.

    The prosecuting counsel, Mr Alex Iziyon, (SAN), however, asked the court to give the convicts the maximum sentence prescribed by Section 15 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act on which they were tried.

    Okah, Nwabueze, Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Francis-Osvwo (aka General Gbokos) were initially arraigned before the court on Dec. 7, 2010.

    They were arraigned for their alleged involvement in the bomb blast which left about 12 people dead and several others injured.

    Francis-Osvwo later died in prison custody, while Ebiware, who had his trial conducted separately, is serving life sentence upon his conviction in 2013.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the judgment which lasted about six hours has finally brought to an end litigation which started about eight years ago.

    NAN also recalls that in the course of the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses to prove that the defendants actually committed the crime.

    Okah called two witnesses including himself, Nwabueze called four witnesses.

    Read Also: 2010 bombing: Okah’s trial nears conclusion eight years after

  • 2010 Abuja bombing: Court sets March 7 for judgment in Okah’s trial

    2010 Abuja bombing: Court sets March 7 for judgment in Okah’s trial

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed March 7 this year for judgment in the over seven-year old trial of Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze.

    Okah and Nwabueze are being tried for their alleged complicity in the October 1, 2010 bomb incident at Eagle Square, Abuja, in which about 12 people died and many others were injured.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole chose March 7 for judgment after parties adopted their final written addresses yesterday.

    Adopting his address Wednesday, Okah’s lawyer, Emeka Okoroafor argued among others, that the prosecution was unable to lead sufficient evidence to warrant his client’s conviction.

    He faulted the evidence led by the prosecution and insisted that it failed to link his client with the alleged offence.

    Okoroafor prayed the court to discharge and acquit his client.

    Lawyer to Nwanbueze, Oghenevo Otemo argued in similar vein. He contended that the prosecution did not place anything before the court to warrant his client’s conviction.

    Otemo accused the prosecution of concealing some relevant materials from the court.

    He said his client made different extra-judicial statements voluntarily and that one of such statements was made at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 18, 2010.

    Otemo claimed that the prosecution refused to tender the statement his client made at the DSS headquarters before the court.

    The prosecution’s alleged refusal to tender the statement, Otemo argued, amounted to concealment of evidence, which according to him, is against the law.

    He urged the court to hold that the statement, which the prosecution allegedly refused to tender, is that which is favourable to the defendant.

    Otemo prayed the court to set Nwabueze free.

    In a counter-argument, prosecution lawyer, Alex Iziyon (SAN) urged the court to hold that the prosecution has proved its case against the defendants.

    He said evidence led by the prosecution conveniently reflected the involvement of the defendants in events leading to the October 1, 2010 bomb incident.

    Izinyon, who dwelt extensively on the case against Okah, described him as a schemer and the facilitator of the act of terrorism.

    “The first defendant is head, neck and toe deep in the act of terrorism”, Izinyon said.

    He said the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants were responsible for the 2010 Independence Day multiple bomb blasts in Abuje, which claimed several lives and left several others injured.

    Iziyon urged the court to convict the defendants as charged and sentence them accordingly.

    Earlier, Justice Kolawole over-ruled the defendants’ objection to the prosecution’s application dated January 29, 2018 for the court’s permission to regularise some of the exhibits it tendered.

    The judge, who faulted the defence’s argument against the application, allowed the prosecution to regularise the document on being satisfied that it has paid the necessary penalties.

    Okah, Nwabueze, Edmund Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Francis-Osvwo (aka General Gbokos) were initially arraigned before the court on December 7, 2010 in relation to the alleged offence.

    Francis-Osvwo later died in prison custody, while Ebiware, who had his trial conducted separately, is serving life sentence upon his conviction in 2013, leaving Okah and Nwabueze to jointly stand trial on a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/186/2010.

  • Independence Day bombings: Court refuses to stop Okah’s, Nwabueze’s trial

    Independence Day bombings: Court refuses to stop Okah’s, Nwabueze’s trial

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday rejected the no-case submission filed by Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze, who are standing trial for their involvement in the 2010 Independence Day bombings in Abuja.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole in his ruling said the prosecution has provided sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against Okah and Nwabueze to warrant their trial.

    Four suspects – Okah, Nwabueze, Edmund Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Francis-Osvwo (aka General Gbokos) – were initially arraigned on December 7, 2010 on terrorism charges over the incident which 12 people and injured several others.

    Francis-Osvwo died later in prison, while Ebiware elected to have his trial.

    He was convicted in 2013 and is now serving a life sentence, leaving Okah and Nwabueze, who are now being jointly tried.

    At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case after calling about 17 witnesses, the defendants elected to make a no-case submission, arguing among others, that the prosecution was unable to establish a prima facie case against them.

    They urged the court to discharge and acquit them, claiming that the prosecution was unable to produce evidence linking them to the crime.

     

  • Independence Day Bombing: Court admits suspect’s confessional statement

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday admitted in evidence the alleged confessional statement made by one of those standing trial for the 2010 Independence Day bombing in Abuja.

    Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze are being tried over the incident which killed several people at the Eagle Square venue of the Independence Day celebration.

    Justice Kolawole, in a ruling on a trial-within-trial, held that Nwabueze’s confessional statement was made voluntarily.

    The trial-within-trial was conducted to ascertain whether or not Nwabueze made his statement voluntarily when his lawyer objected to an attempt by the prosecution to tender it in evidence.

    Nwabueze was said to have made the statement while in the Department of State Service (DSS) custody.

    But he later denied the statement, saying it was obtained under duress.

    Justice Kolawole held that the defendant failed to prove the involuntariness of the statement he made in the DSS custody.

     

  • Court rejects FG’s report on Okah’s health status

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday rejected the report of medical examination conducted on suspected terrorist, Charles Okah, by the Federal Government.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole, in a ruling, ordered that a fresh medical assessment, that will reveal Okah’s current mental state be conducted within 15 days.

    The judge’s decision was upon observation raised by defence lawyer, John Ainetor, about some inconsistencies contained in the report.

    Okah is being tried with Obi Nwabueze over the 2010 Independence Day twin bombing in Abuja which killed about 12 people, leaving several others injured.

    Four people, believed to be members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) led by Henry Okah (currently serving jail term in South Africa) were originally arraigned before the court in December 2011 over the incident.

    One of them, Tiemkemfa Francis Osvwo a.ka General Gbokos, died later, while another suspect, Edmund Ebiware, who had his trial conducted separately, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

    At the last hearing on December 4 last year, Justice Kolawole, upon complaint by Ainetor that Okah was not mentally fit to stand trial, ordered a psychiatric evaluation on him.

    On Wednesday, Justice Kolawole gave a copy of the medical report from the National Hospital, Abuja, dated January 9 to lawyers on both sides to read. The report was signed by a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist with the National Hospital, Dr. O. T. Ephraim Oluwanuga.

    After reading the report, lead prosecution lawyer, Alex Iziyon (SAN) argued that from the report, it could be deduced that Okah was fit to stand trial. He said he was ready to proceed and sought the court’s permission to continue with the trial.

    Ainetor objected, noting that the report contained some contradicting information. He observed that while the concluding part stated that Okah could stand trial, part of the findings contained in the body of the report stated otherwise.

    He noted that in pages two and three of the report, the medical expert, who examined his client observed that he (Okah) suffers from “Psychotic depression, fatigues disorder and auditory/visual hallucinations.”

    Ainetor argued that in view of the contradiction in the findings and conclusions contained in the report, there was need for further evaluation of the accused person.