The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oluwatoyin Taiwo

  • Court remands former bank staff over alleged N81.7m fraud

    Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has remanded a former staff of Diamond Bank, Oladimeji Balogun in prison custody over alleged stealing N81.7million.

    Balogun was arraigned on Monday before the court on a four-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The anti-graft alleged that Balogun sometimes between May 30 and June, 2018 dishonestly converted to the use of one Balogun Zainab Omohomo the sum of N35 million, property of Finni Oluwakemi.

    The defendant was also alleged to have dishonestly converted to the use of Fekeman Global Ltd the sum of N30 million property of Finni Oluwakemi.

    Following to his plea of not guilty, EFCC prosecuting counsel Mr. A. Mohammed prayed the court to remand the defendant prison custody and asked for a trial date.

    Read Also: Court remands woman for alleged manslaughter

    The defence counsel, Adekunle Oyesanya (SAN) however informed the court of a bail application for his client.

    He prayed the court to grant him bail on the most liberal terms.

    He told the court that his application was supported by a seven-paragraph affidavit deposed to the defendant’s brother.

    He added that the offence to which the defendant is being charged is not a capital offence and so is entitled to bail subject to the court’s discretion.

    Mohammed, in his response, opposed the bail application in a 14-paragraph counter affidavit and relied on the paragraphs for his argument.

    In her ruling, Justice Taiwo granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.

    She ordered one of the sureties must own a landed property in Lagos and the other surety must be a close relation of the defendant, with a tax clearance for the past three years to Lagos state.

    She therefore ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfilment of his bail terms and  adjourned trial to April 9, 2019.

  • ‘I can’t remember when I was appointed as a Permanent Secretary’

    Former Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour,  Mr Clement Iloh on Thursday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that he could not remember the date or year he was appointed as a Permanent Secretary.

    Iloh is facing trial for allegedly stealing N14million  by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo.

    He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Iloh however  recalled that as at 2013, he earned N757.000 as a level 17 officer.

    When shown the bank account statements of a company, Clement and Bob, to which he is the sole signatory,  Iloh  maintained that it was his business account which he opened alongside his son.

    When Oyedepo showed him that the account has a credit balance of N453 million,  Iloh said,  ” I don’t know how you jumped into that amount. What brought me here was a N14 million alleged theft charge.”

    Iloh also denied receiving credit alerts into the account from several contractors and junior officials in the Ministry and NIMASA staff.

    Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) however raised objection when Oyedepo again showed the defendant his company’s statement of account where he received N100 million from a Bureau de Change operator while also receiving the dollar equivalent in cash.

    Chief  Ayorinde questioned why Oyedepo was trying to get his client to accept that he received the dollar equivalent of of N100m.

    “My Lord the prosecution is simply trying to get my client to admit to money laundering charges so that they can file new charges,  ” Ayorinde said.

    Illoh however admitted to collecting another N100 million in ten tranches of N10m each but maintained that the money does not belong to him.

    He explained that the sum of N49 million transferred into his company account by NIMASA was meant for ‘community service. ‘

    On further probing by the EFCC prosecuting counsel, the defendant said that the community  service he referred to was  a SURE P program.

    He however admitted that there was no contract between his company, Clement and Bob and NIMASA as at the time the N49 million was paid.

    Justice  Taiwo thereafter adjourned the matter till November 21 and 22, for continuation of trial.

  • Court jails kidnapper 42 years

    After six years of trial, an Ikeja High Court on Monday sentenced a kidnapper, Emeka Obasim to 42 years imprisonment for the kidnap of Jude Ugoje and Miss Piriye Ogogo.

    Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo handed down the sentence after finding the convict guilty of three count charge out of the 12-count charges preferred against him by Lagos state government.

    Emeka Obasim, 33, was convicted on three-count charges bordering on Kidnapping, Conspiracy and Armed robbery, contrary to sections 231, 221 and 269 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    He was arraigned alongside four other defendants before the court six years ago on a 12-count bordering on Kidnapping, Murder, Conspiracy, Armed robbery, sexually molestation.

    The other defendants charged with Obasim are: Kelvin Emenike Ukoh 32, Uche Ubani 28, Chibuzor Osuagwu 29, Onowu Nzozi 37.

    In her judgment Justice Taiwo discharged the convict and three others of the charge of murder however found him guilty of the kidnap, conspiracy and armed robbery charges.

    According to the judge, the court is of the opinion that the fourth defendant, Emeka Obasim and the 1st defendant who is now at large are part of the kidnap gang.

    “I hereby convict the defendant, Emeka Obasim of three count charge of kidnap, Conspiracy and armed robbery.

    “For the kidnap charge, he is sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, conspiracy 5-years and Armed Robbery 21 years. The sentences will run concurrently”, she said.

    The judge also ordered the counsel to present the 1st defendant, Ukoh, who is currently at large for sentencing whenever he is arrested.

    She however discharged and acquainted Kelvin Emenike, Uche Ubani and Onowu Nzozi of the charges.

    Justice Taiwo warned the trio that was discharged to desist from the crime; else they find themselves in court again.

    “You might not be this lucky the next time, so run away from crime”, she said.

    Earlier, the prosecution team led by Mrs K.O Sarumi had told the court that the convict and other defendants committed the crime in August, 2012 at  about 8pmin Festac Town in Lagos.

    Sarumi said they kidnapped one Mr Jude Ugoji and his colleague Piriye Ogogo after the close of the day’s work.

    Jude who was the first prosecution witness had narrated to the court how he was kidnapped.

    Read Also: Court dissolves 25-year-old marriage

    “I was attacked on my way back from work when I pulled over to drop -off my colleague who usually join me on my way home.

    “I was attacked by armed men and taken to an uncompleted building in an unknown place.
    They blind folded me while I was being taken away. They also asked me for the contact of someone that can pay for my ransom.

    “I gave them the phone number of my MD, and they demanded the sum of N10 million  from him, and after much negotiations, they agreed to collect the sum of N5 million which was paid to them.

    “The ransom was paid by my MD’s brother Paul Cole.

    Another Victim Piriye, who also gave evidence before  the court said she was in the same car with Jude when he was kidnapped and one of the kidnappers, the fourth defendant molested her by fondling her breasts and he only left her when she told him that she was on her menstruation and have to dip her finger into her pants to show him the blood.

    Piriye further told the court that the gang also took away her belongings including her phone, salary, jewelries and her handbag.

    While pleading for leniency, the defence prayed the court to tamper justice with mercy and pass a light sentence on him.

    “My lord, he is a young man, he has learnt his lessons, he has been in detention for over five years, we urge my Lord to show him mercy,” he said.

     

  • Again, Evans says court can’t try him

    Suspected billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, on Friday asked a Lagos High Court in Igbosere to quash all the five charges filed against him by the Lagos State Government.
    Evans told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that his trial was an abuse of court processes because similar charges had been filed against him by the state at the Ikeja Division of the court.
    According to him, the law requires that all the cases must be consolidated and brought before one judge.
    His trial before Justice Akintoye is the fourth and fifth in a series of murder, attempted murder and kidnap charges brought against him by the state since his arrest last June 10 in his Magodo, Lagos mansion.
    But only two charges are before Justice Akintoye. Three multiple-count charges are before Justices Hakeem Oshodi and Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja High Court.

    Read Also: Video of Evans confession for kidnapping shown in court

    In the case before Justice Akintoye, Evans and three others are facing a fresh five-count charge of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder.
    His co-defendants are: Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.
    In the second charge, Evans, Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba are facing similar counts.
    At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, Evans’ counsel, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, argued that all the charges were “grossly defective, repetitive and an abuse of court processes”.
    Ogungbeje said: “Apart from the counts being of same offence, same section of the law (Section 153 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) is being provided in these counts.
    “I submit that the prosecution misfired by bringing different charges and instituting the same case in different courts.
    “I urge Your Lordship to quash the charge because it is defective and an abuse of court process.”
    But Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, opposed him.
    She said: “The general rule is that every offence must be in a separate count.”
    Shitta-Bey stated that the first defendant was charged with attempt to murder Chief James Udoji in count three, while in count four, he was charged with attempt to murder Mr Donald Nwonye.
    “It will be against the provisions of the law to lump the two offences in one count,” she added.
    Shitta-Bey further explained that other charges filed against the first defendant before other judges involved different defendants committing differnt offences against different victims at different locations and times.
    She urged the court to dismiss the application.
    Shitta-Bey also countered the application of the third defendant, Linus Okpara, in the second charge, which urged the court to quash the two-count charge preferred against him, on the ground that it disclosed no prima facie case.
    She said the proof of evidence disclosed where the third defendant admitted collecting the sum of N2 million for the first defendant in relation to one of the victims, Uche Okorafor.
    “I, therefore, urge the court to discountenance the third defendant’s argument,” the DPP said.
    Justuce Akintoye adjourned till June 26 for ruling.
  • Evans: Lagos court to hear application to quash charge Feb. 28

    Evans: Lagos court to hear application to quash charge Feb. 28

    The late arrival of the defence counsel on Monday again stalled the arraignment of suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans, on fresh charges at an Igbosere High Court in Lagos.

    The Lagos State Government had brought a fresh five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder against Evans and three others.

    The three accused standing trial along with Evans are Emeka Joseph, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.

    The arraignment was first stalled on Nov. 13, because Evans’s counsel was not served with the fresh information.

    Also, one of the three persons charged along with Evans had no legal representation.

    However, on the second date of adjournment, the defence counsel was absent in court.

    When the case came up on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) informed the court that the business of the day was arraignment.

    She, however, said Evans’ counsel, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, was not yet in court, adding that an application seeking to quash the charge was served on them by the defence.

    Other defendants’ counsel — Messers Ogedi Ogu, Emmanuel Ochai and Jude Igbanoi — were all present in court and they acknowledged the application seeking to quash the charge.

    Justice Adedayo Akintoye, however, adjourned the case until Feb. 28 for the hearing of the application to quash charge.

    NAN also reports that the alleged kidnap kingpin was arrested on June 10 and was in August arraigned before Justice Hakeem Oshodi at an Ikeja High Court for kidnapping.

    He has also been arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, who has been transferred to the Ikeja Division. (NAN)