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Tag: Oluwatoyin Ipaye

  • Robber to hang for shooting, matcheting step-mum, step-sister

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Monday sentenced an aluminum fabricator, Akeem Lawal, to death by hanging for attempted murder and armed robbery.

    Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye convicted Lawal of strangling, shooting and matcheting his stepmother and step sister before he and his gang carted away their laptop, phones and jewellery.

    The incident occurred in 2013.

    Delivering judgment after over two years of trial, Justice Ipaye noted that the prosecution proved “beyond reasonable doubt, that there was robbery, armed robbery and that the defendant was one of the armed robbers,  that attacked the victims.”

    The judge held: “I have no reason to doubt the testimonies of the victims as they were eye witnesses and also had a close opportunity to see the robbers.

    “I am therefore satisfied that the prosecution has been able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

    “I find you guilty as charged on count one of conspiracy to robbery and guilty on count two of armed robbery as charged in the amended charge”.

    Before handing down the sentence, the court asked the convict’s counsel, E.B Obogwu, if she had an allocutus on his behalf.

    Obogwu said: “My Lord, I urge this court to tamper justice with mercy. The defendant has a son who is dependent on him and if given another chance, he will not toe that line again.”

    But, discountenancing her plea, the court observed that Lawal had shown no remorse for his actions.

    “The convict shall be hung by the neck until he dies. May the Lord God have mercy on your soul,” Justice Ipaye held.

    Lawal was arraigned by the Lagos State Government on May 3, 2016, on an amended two-count charge of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery, contrary to sections 297 and 295 (2)(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The prosecution team led by Mr Akin George said the incident occurred at about 2am on November 30, 2013, at 12, Lawal Street, Akowonjo, in Egbeda area of Lagos State.

    George said Lawal and two other masked men broke down the front door of the home of his step sister, Sherifat Niniola Olanipekun, with an axe.

    They robbed, shot her on the back before matcheting her on the head.

    They then attacked her aged 90-year-old mother, Taibat Lawal, and left both of them to die.

    Olanipekun, the first prosecution witness, confirmed that Lawal was her step brother and his mother left him when he was three years old.

    Read Also: Police arrest armed robbers in Bayelsa

    She said she and her mother took care of him, sent him to regular school and Arabic schools and also sponsored him to learn aluminum fabrication.

    Olanipekun said: “On the day of the incident, I was working on some decorations for my church when I heard a loud sound. I woke up my son Abiodun Olanipekun before going to block the door to prevent the armed robbers from entering the house, but they broke down the door with an axe.

    “I was shouting for help but no one came to our rescue.

    “Immediately the three masked men entered the house, they demanded for N8million, which we supposedly received from a sold property, but I told them that there was no such money with me.

    “One of the armed robbers was infuriated and removed the mask from his face. That was how we were able to recognize him.

    “Akeem ordered me to lay face down on the floor. He matcheted me with the axe on my head and shot me on my back. Then he went into the room and matcheted my aged mother, strangled her to the extent that her tongue was sticking out, until we passed out and he left us to die.”

    The witness testified that before he shot her, Lawal asked for her son who had gone into hiding in the store and was watching from there, but she refused to tell him.

    She told the court that they stole her laptop, phones and jewelleries.

    Okanipekun’s son, Abiodun, corroborated his mum’s testimony.

    He said his mother and grandmother passed out and they were rushed to the hospital after the attackers left.

    The witness said his mother was taken to a hospital in Ikorodu, while his grandmother was treated at a hospital in Akowonjo. They were both later flown to America for further treatment.

    “The doctors said my mother had 50 bullets in her body and 38 pellets were removed,” he added.

    He explained that prior to the incident his mother and grandmother never had any issues with Lawal.

    The court heard that the convict may have carried out the attack because he was dissatisfied with his portion of inheritance left for him by his father.

    The witness told the court that Lawal informed him that he was given six single rooms, half a plot of land and two shops, while is step sister got 12 shops and a plot of land from their late father’s properties.

     

  • Atiku’s wife to court: Pastor who defrauded me of N918m was my ‘errand boy’

    Atiku’s wife to court: Pastor who defrauded me of N918m was my ‘errand boy’

    Mrs Titi Atiku, wife of former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku, told an Ikeja High Court that Akpan-Jacobs, the pastor, who allegedly defrauded her of N918 million was her “errand boy”.

    Titi made this claim while being cross-examined on Wednesday by Mr Amos Ibe, the defence counsel to Akpan-Jacobs.

    “I paid N49 million for the land used as the premises of THA Shipping, my partner Fred Holmes never contributed to the buying of the land but he contributed to the building of the property.

    “The N49 million was given to Akpan-Jacobs to purchase the land, but did not know who he bought the land from.

    “He never contributed a dime, he was just like an errand boy,” Atiku said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Akpan-Jacobs with a 14-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of property worth N918 million belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

    THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd, a company created in 2000, is owned by Atiku, Akpan-Jacobs and Fred Holmes, her German business partner.

    Atiku was alleged to be the majority shareholder with 49 per cent shares, while Holmes and Akpan-Jacobs each had 25 per cent shares.

    Akpan-Jacobs, who also doubled as the company’s Managing Director and Secretary, was alleged to have gone to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to alter the share holding in his favour and forged the company’s board resolutions.

    He allegedly allotted 70 per cent shares to himself and 15 per cent shares each to Titi and Holmes.

    According to the EFCC, welding a fraudulent shareholding power, Akpan-Jacobs sold a property belonging to the company to Dana Motors Nigeria Ltd for N918 million.

    The property is located at Plot C63 A, Amuwo-Odofin Commercial Layout along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

    Responding to Atiku’s claim that Akpan-Jacobs was her errand boy, Ibe asked: “He was made a Managing Director (MD), how can an errand boy be made an MD ?

    “He was made an MD to stand in for Mr Fred Holmes because Holmes had not resigned from his job.

    “When it was time for Akpan to step down as the MD, he refused because by then he had perfected his fraudulent acts.”

    The wife of ex-VP denied Ibe’s claims that Akpan-Jacobs owned and promoted THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd and only brought her on board to bring in big briefs and clients.

    “Is he the one who bought the land, built the building? He was merely supervising.

    “My clout gave the company a lot of prestige, a lot of people wanted to do business with us and people brought a lot of containers to us,” she said.

    NAN recalls that while giving evidence on May 23, Atiku had told the court that she had used her maiden name, Florence Doregos, for business transactions because she was serving in government at the time.

    She denied Ibe’s accusations that Akpan-Jacobs never forged her signature either as Florence Doregos and Titi Abubakar in company documents.

    Mrs Atiku also denied Akpan-Jacobs claims that she never contributed to the construction of the building that housed the company.

    “I have a breakdown of the costs used in the construction of the building, Akpan-Jacobs gave me the breakdown in 2002 but he did not sign it.

    “I never said the property was built by Julius Berger, Mr Holmes was a Julius Berger staff and he might have used his connections to make the building a solid structure.

    “There was a document that Akpan-Jacobs had showed me that was signed Abubakar, I told him that that was not Titi Abubakar’s signature.

    “He forged Florence Doregos signature in a number of documents,” she said.

    Atiku also told the court that she and Holmes on April 6, 2009 passed a resolution removing Akpan-Jacobs from the ownership of THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

    “He had sold the property by the time we passed that resolution but we wrote to Akpan notifying him of what we wanted to do.

    “My lawyer, Mr Chima went to Dana Motors Ltd made efforts to stop the sale of the property because by then, they had not given Akpan much money for the sale of the property.

    “When Mr Chima went to Dana Motors Ltd to tell them that the property was not for sale, they confided in him that the property was sold to Akpan for N918 million.

    “I only gave power of attorney to one Ms Springerbeck, a German citizen; I, however, reverted the power of attorney to my lawyer after I noticed that she had a lot of excesses.

    “Akpan used the property as a collateral for a loan from First Bank because he needed funds to run for governor of Akwa-Ibom.

    “When he could not pay the loan and settle his creditors, he sold THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

    “I am not aware that a deed of assignment was signed by a secretary and director of the company, Akpan did not introduce any secretary to me,” she said.

    Mr Babatunde Sonoiki, the EFCC counsel, while re-examining Atiku, asked if she signed any the company resolutions used in the alleged fraud.

    “Did you ever sign board resolutions assigning anyone as company secretary, approving the sale of the property and to loan money from First Bank on behalf of THA Shipping?”

    Atiku replied: “I never signed any board resolution for any of those purposes.”

    Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye adjourned the case until July 6 for continuation of trial.

  • Man jailed seven years for attempted theft

    Man jailed seven years for attempted theft

    A Bureau de change operator, Akeem Ajagbe, is to spend seven years in prison for attempting to steal N1.9 million belonging to the Grange School in Ikeja, Lagos.

    Ajagbe, in his early forties, was convicted and sentenced on Tuesday by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court, having been found guilty of three charges of conspiracy, attempt to steal and forgery.

    The trial judge, however, found him not guilty of the fourth charge of uttering a forged document due to the inability of the prosecution to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

    “The purpose of a custodial sentence is to rehabilitate an offender.

    “Greed of the defendant led the defendant and his accomplice to commit the offences.

    “Rather than work hard, he wanted to reap where he did not sow.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for conspiracy to steal.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for the offence of attempt to steal.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for the offence of forgery.

    “The terms of prison mentioned shall be concurrent and the prison term will start from Dec. 26, 2013 which was from when he has been in custody,” said the judge.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that immediately the sentence was read, Ajagbe’s wife began weeping loudly and had to be led out of the courtroom by the court orderly.

    According to Mrs Fadeke Giwa, prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ajagbe committed the offence alongside one Segun Fabiyi on May 25, 2011 at Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

    “Fabiyi, the convict’s accomplice, presented a forged cheque, purportedly from the Grange School, which was dated May 5, 2011 at the Allen Avenne branch of Skye Bank.

    “The cheque, which was for N1.9million and was to be paid into Ajagbe’s Skye Bank account, was noticed by vigilant officials of the bank to be forged, and immediately, Fabiyi was apprehended.

    “Fabiyi, under interrogation, named Ajagbe as his co-conspirator.

    “The offences violated Sections 467, 468, 509 and 516 of the Criminal Code Law 2003,” she said.

    Giwa said that Fabiyi and Ajagbe were arraigned by the anti-graft agency on Nov. 21, 2013.

    The prosecutor said that Fabiyi, however, instead of facing trial, opted for a plea bargain agreement with the EFCC and had since been sentenced by Justice Ipaye to two years in prison.

    NAN reports that Ajagbe, during the trial, denied the charges, claiming that the cheque was from a client who needed to pay in the money into his Skye bank account to purchase foreign currency.

    Shortly before the conviction, Mr Tunde Israel, counsel to the convict, had asked the court for mercy.

    “The defendant is a first time offender and has not been convicted of any offence before. He is a father of six as well as a breadwinner to his extended family.

    “He is a victim of an occupational hazard and My Lord, he has been in detention with the EFCC before he was granted bail by this court.

    “I pray that this court will temper justice with mercy as he has regularly attended trial. He has not made any attempt to jump bail,” said Israel.

    A Bureau de change operator, Akeem Ajagbe, is to spend seven years in prison for attempting to steal N1.9 million belonging to the Grange School in Ikeja, Lagos.

    Ajagbe, in his early forties, was convicted and sentenced on Tuesday by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court, having been found guilty of three charges of conspiracy, attempt to steal and forgery.

    The trial judge, however, found him not guilty of the fourth charge of uttering a forged document due to the inability of the prosecution to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

    “The purpose of a custodial sentence is to rehabilitate an offender.

    “Greed of the defendant led the defendant and his accomplice to commit the offences.

    “Rather than work hard, he wanted to reap where he did not sow.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for conspiracy to steal.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for the offence of attempt to steal.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for the offence of forgery.

    “The terms of prison mentioned shall be concurrent and the prison term will start from Dec. 26, 2013 which was from when he has been in custody,” said the judge.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that immediately the sentence was read, Ajagbe’s wife began weeping loudly and had to be led out of the courtroom by the court orderly.

    According to Mrs Fadeke Giwa, prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ajagbe committed the offence alongside one Segun Fabiyi on May 25, 2011 at Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

    “Fabiyi, the convict’s accomplice, presented a forged cheque, purportedly from the Grange School, which was dated May 5, 2011 at the Allen Avenne branch of Skye Bank.

    “The cheque, which was for N1.9million and was to be paid into Ajagbe’s Skye Bank account, was noticed by vigilant officials of the bank to be forged, and immediately, Fabiyi was apprehended.

    “Fabiyi, under interrogation, named Ajagbe as his co-conspirator.

    “The offences violated Sections 467, 468, 509 and 516 of the Criminal Code Law 2003,” she said.

    Giwa said that Fabiyi and Ajagbe were arraigned by the anti-graft agency on Nov. 21, 2013.

    The prosecutor said that Fabiyi, however, instead of facing trial, opted for a plea bargain agreement with the EFCC and had since been sentenced by Justice Ipaye to two years in prison.

    NAN reports that Ajagbe, during the trial, denied the charges, claiming that the cheque was from a client who needed to pay in the money into his Skye bank account to purchase foreign currency.

    Shortly before the conviction, Mr Tunde Israel, counsel to the convict, had asked the court for mercy.

    “The defendant is a first time offender and has not been convicted of any offence before. He is a father of six as well as a breadwinner to his extended family.

    “He is a victim of an occupational hazard and My Lord, he has been in detention with the EFCC before he was granted bail by this court.

    “I pray that this court will temper justice with mercy as he has regularly attended trial. He has not made any attempt to jump bail,” said Israel.

    A Bureau de change operator, Akeem Ajagbe, is to spend seven years in prison for attempting to steal N1.9 million belonging to the Grange School in Ikeja, Lagos.

    Ajagbe, in his early forties, was convicted and sentenced on Tuesday by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court, having been found guilty of three charges of conspiracy, attempt to steal and forgery.

    The trial judge, however, found him not guilty of the fourth charge of uttering a forged document due to the inability of the prosecution to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

    “The purpose of a custodial sentence is to rehabilitate an offender.

    “Greed of the defendant led the defendant and his accomplice to commit the offences.

    “Rather than work hard, he wanted to reap where he did not sow.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for conspiracy to steal.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for the offence of attempt to steal.

    “I, hereby, sentence you, Ajagbe Omotayo Akeem, to seven years in prison for the offence of forgery.

    “The terms of prison mentioned shall be concurrent and the prison term will start from Dec. 26, 2013 which was from when he has been in custody,” said the judge.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that immediately the sentence was read, Ajagbe’s wife began weeping loudly and had to be led out of the courtroom by the court orderly.

    According to Mrs Fadeke Giwa, prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ajagbe committed the offence alongside one Segun Fabiyi on May 25, 2011 at Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

    “Fabiyi, the convict’s accomplice, presented a forged cheque, purportedly from the Grange School, which was dated May 5, 2011 at the Allen Avenne branch of Skye Bank.

    “The cheque, which was for N1.9million and was to be paid into Ajagbe’s Skye Bank account, was noticed by vigilant officials of the bank to be forged, and immediately, Fabiyi was apprehended.

    “Fabiyi, under interrogation, named Ajagbe as his co-conspirator.

    “The offences violated Sections 467, 468, 509 and 516 of the Criminal Code Law 2003,” she said.

    Giwa said that Fabiyi and Ajagbe were arraigned by the anti-graft agency on Nov. 21, 2013.

    The prosecutor said that Fabiyi, however, instead of facing trial, opted for a plea bargain agreement with the EFCC and had since been sentenced by Justice Ipaye to two years in prison.

    NAN reports that Ajagbe, during the trial, denied the charges, claiming that the cheque was from a client who needed to pay in the money into his Skye bank account to purchase foreign currency.

    Shortly before the conviction, Mr Tunde Israel, counsel to the convict, had asked the court for mercy.

    “The defendant is a first time offender and has not been convicted of any offence before. He is a father of six as well as a breadwinner to his extended family.

    “He is a victim of an occupational hazard and My Lord, he has been in detention with the EFCC before he was granted bail by this court.

    “I pray that this court will temper justice with mercy as he has regularly attended trial. He has not made any attempt to jump bail,” said Israel.

  • Court: Ajudua has case to answer

    Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a High Court in Lagos yesterday dismissed an application brought by a lawyer, Fred Ajudua, seeking to quash the $8.395 million fraud charge against him.

    Justice Ipaye, held that Ajudua had a case to answer, adding that the court is competent to hear the charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The EFCC charged Ajudua before the court for allegedly defrauding former Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd.) of about $8.395 million between November 2004 and June 2005 at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, when they were being detained.

    Ajudua filed a preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try him on the grounds that he was charged under the repealed Advance Fee Fraud Act. He had also asked the court to try Bamaiyi for money laundering.

    He said Bamaiyi should stand trial along with him for admitting in his statement to the EFCC that he attempted to bribe a sitting judge.

    Yesterday, Justice Ipaye held that EFCC was right in charging Ajudua under the repealed Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 1995, since the act was in force when the crime was committed.

    The judge held that the defendant’s argument that the victim of the crime was tainted cannot be a ground for dismissing the charge. She said that facts about the credibility of the victim were not before the court.

    However, Ajudua’s formal arraignment could not proceed as his lawyer sought time to study the charge.

    The judge adjourned the case till March 11 for his arraignment.

    Ajudua is the only defendant in the fresh charge as others who allegedly committed the offence along with him were said to be at large. They include Alumile Adedeji (a.k.a Ade Bendel), another, Mr. Kenneth and Princess Hamabon William.

    EFCC claimed that the suspects fraudulently collected the money from Bamaiyi in parts as the “professional fees” charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle his (Bamaiyi’s) case in court and to facilitate his release from prison.

    The prosecution has listed about 10 witnesses including Bamaiyi and prison officials to give evidence in the matter.