The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Olayiwola Afolabi

  • Apostle Suleiman asks NBA to sanction Keyamo over Otobo

    A clergyman, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has petitioned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) asking it to sanction Festus Keyamo (SAN) over public statements he made against him following one Stephanie Otobo’s allegation.

    Stephanie had alleged Apostle Suleiman had amorous relationship with her and promised to marry her but later reneged.

    In the petition, Apostle Suleiman alleged that Keyamo tried to smear his name through the media.

    Counsel to Suleiman, Barr. Olayiwola Afolabi told journalists in Benin City that the way and manner Keyamo went about the matter was unprofessional as he (Keyamo) refused to respond to letters sent to him by Suleman which prompted the decision to petition the NBA.

    Afolabi said Keyamo made spurious allegations against his client and engaged in  a smear campaign against Suleman but did not recant his statements when Otobo publicly apologised to Suleman.

    Read Also: Stephanie Otobo charged with blackmailing Apostle Suleiman

    He said, “While Keyamo made a demand on our client supposedly on the brief of Stephanie Otobo, our client had hardly received and acknowledged receipt of the letter when he followed up with a petition to the Inspector General of Police and organised media attack on our client.

    “As widely accepted in the legal sphere, an addressee of a letter ought to have taken receipt of it before any supposed action would be taken on it, but in this instance, not only did he make it a subject of media gossips, he engaged in active conversations in the public sphere through print and other media on the matter for which our client had no opportunity to debunk the allegations.

    Afolabi noted that Otobo later made a public apology to Suleman but Keyamo wss yet to retract his public statements against Suleman.

    A response to Apostle Suleman’s petition by the Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Jonathan Gunu Taidi dated 29th January 2019 directed Suleiman to within 21 days forward to it a statement sworn before a competent court, witness statement of any witness he may wish to call with “concise statement of material facts to be relied upon in support of the petition” with relevant documents, this it said would enable it take a decision on the petition.

  • Benin lawyer grants scholarship to two indigent students

    A Benin based lawyer, Barrister Olayiwola Afolabi, has awarded one year scholarship to two indigent students of Saint John Model Secondary School and Fugar Mixed Secondary School, both in Etsako Central  council area of Edo state.

    Both students, Master Elamah Zion-Brown and Miss Izuagie Jennifer emerged best students of their school in their last school examination.

    Barrister Afolabi gave the award at the commissioning of his twin multi-million naira new Signature Law Hub and Legal Resources Center.

    Afolabi said his decision to give yearly award to needy children was because of  God’s grace upon his life.

    He disclosed that he came to Edo state to serve his fatherland as a member of the  NYSC having a “Ghana Must Go Bag,” as all his possession on earth.

    Barrister Afolabi said the edifice would be developed for digital resources center to assist young lawyers and public commentators to engaging in contemporary legal issues and gain valuable knowledge that can be transmitted to the job of building an egalitarian society.

    Read Also: Igue Festival: Obaseki congratulates Benin Monarch

    His words, “This building for me does not represent a show of personal aggrandizement. In this City of Benin I bought my first car, I had my first land. I built my first house.

    “This edifice is a testimony to the fact that there is no height that cannot be attained, no milestone that cannot be reached by a determined heart that has God.”

    Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Esohe Frances Ikponmwen, who commissioned the building charged the bar and bench to always imbibe the virtues of hard work, humility and respect for all irrespective of status and callings in the society.

    She described Afolabi as a dynamic, resourceful, humble and respectful gentleman who has never looked back in achieving set goals since his incursion into the wig and gown profession shortly after his youth service in the state in 1991.

    “The only way to success is to love the Lord God and the only success that endures is the type that Afolabi has achieved. It is a good feat for a young man to accomplish this (edifice). As a young lawyer he has grown to join the league of big lawyers. There is nothing like success, nobody wants to associate with failure; we recognize hard work. Hard work pays, humility pays and respect pays,” the Chief Judge said.

  • Edo, others sued for contempt

    Edo, others sued for contempt

    The Edo State government and some of its officials have been sued for alleged contempt of court. They were alleged to have disobeyed an interim order by the National Industrial Court (NIC).

    Justice B.A. Adejumo issued the order, restraining the government from conducting competency tests for teachers.

    The proceeding was filed by the counsel to secondary school teachers, Olayiwola Afolabi.

    Afolabi said the court issued and served Form 48 on the said officials.

    He said: “Form 48 is the first step in contempt proceeding, which must be filed and served before the contemnor will be committed to prison, if he or she refuses to purge himself or herself of the contempt.”

  • My son has caused me trauma – stowaway boy’s mum

    Mother of Daniel Ohikhena, Evelyn, on Monday said her son’s misadventure has caused her “serious psychological trauma.”

    She said she was yet to know the whereabouts of her son.

    Her son, Daniel flew to Lagos in the tyre compartment of an Arik flight thinking he was heading to the United States.

    Daniel was caught in Lagos and is still in the custody of the Directorate of State Security Services.

    Evelyn who spoke in a petition written by her Counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi to the DSS called for the immediate release of her son from custody.

    She said he was a juvenile in the eye of the law, adding that his continued detention would hinder the formalization of the scholarship awarded to him by a foundation.