The Nation Newspaper

Tag: possession

  • Ex-convict gets 3-year sentence for drug possession

    Ex-convict gets 3-year sentence for drug possession

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday sentenced Godwin Osama, to three years imprisonment for possessing 40.5 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa popularly known as Indian hemp.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, who delivered the judgment, noted that Osama had previously served a three-year jail term for the same offence.

    Similarly, the court sentenced one Andy Ngbede to 18 months jail term for transporting 117 kilogrammes of Indian hemp.

    The judge said that both men were convicted based on the fact that they pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against them.

    A witness, Mr Shehu Mohammed, who was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Mike Kassa, told the court that the street value of the drugs was about N1.14 million.

    “The value of the drugs recovered from Osama is N360, 000 while that of Ngbede is N780, 000.

    “They were arrested on Aug. 10 and volunteered statements which they signed,” Mohammed, an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said.

    Both convicts had earlier, in tears, pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.

    Osama told that court that he was married and had four children, adding that another prison sentence would make his wife to divorce him.

    On his part, Ngbede told the court that he had three children, and that he had lost his job at the company where he worked as a driver.

    He said that he was lured into transporting the drugs to make extra money to treat his sick mother.

  • Brothers remanded for alleged firearm possession

    Chief Magistrates’ Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has remanded Vincent Nkwo in prison custody for alleged illegal possession of firearm.

    Nkwo, 45, was remanded with Vincent Happy, 21.

    The duo and others at large on September 3 allegedly had in their custody one locally-made single barrel gun cut to size and two cartridges without a licence.

    The incident reportedly occurred at Rumuodogo in Emohua Local Government.

    They were charged with conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearm.

    The prosecutor, Jonas Rufus, told the court that the offence contravened Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) Act Cap R11 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

    The two-count charge was not read to them and they did not take a plea.

    They were not represented by a lawyer.

    The Judge, Amadi O. Amadi-Nna, ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody.

    He said the original case file be duplicated and sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution for advice and adjourned the matter indefinitely.

  • Man in court for ‘unlawful possession of 22 goats’

    A 28-year-old man, Musibau Okunola, was at the weekend arraigned at an Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Osun State for alleged unlawful possession of 22 goats.

    The prosecutor, Mireti Wilson, said the accused committed the offence on November 28 last year about 3:50.a.m. in Osogbo metropolis.

    He said the accused was arrested while conveying the goats in a bus registered as KJA 178 XE, and was unable to give a satisfactory explanation about the ownership of the animals.

    Wilson said the offence contravened sections 517 and 430(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.11 Laws of Osun State, 2003.

    The accused pleaded not guilty. His counsel, Mr. Ato Atobatele, prayed the court to grant him bail in liberal terms.

    The Magistrate, Mrs. Olubukola Awodele, granted the accused bail at N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She said the sureties must live in the court jurisdiction, show evidence of tax payment, attach affidavit of means and provide two passport size photographs.

    The case was adjourned till November 13 for hearing.

  • Navy dismisses seaman for alleged illegal drug possession

    Navy dismisses seaman for alleged illegal drug possession

    The Navy has dismissed a seaman for alleged illegal drug possession.

    Seaman Haruna Umar was dismissed and handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after a court martial found him quilty of possessing 14.55kg of marijuana.

    The suspect was arrested in June last year after he was caught with the drugs.

    A statement signed by the spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Lieutenant Elizabeth Ibrahim, warned the public not to transact business with him.

    She said: “On June 7, 2016, Seaman H. Umar, with force number X13555, was arrested for being in possession of about 14.55kg of illicit substance suspected to be canabis sativa.

    “He was summarily tried and the legal review of the trial indicated that the accused was properly charged and due process was complied with during the trial.

    “He was found guilty and the sentence of dismissal was awarded to him for peddling illicit drugs. Accordingly, the ex-rating was handed over to the NDLEA for necessary action.

    “This is to inform the public that the ex-rating is no longer a member of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Anyone who transacts business with him does so at his or her own risk.”

  • Three jailed 12 months for illegal firearms possession

    An Egor Magistrates’ Court in Benin City, Edo State, has sentenced three persons to 12 months imprisonment each for possession of illegal firearms.

    The convicts, Ayo Olatunji, Isaiah Idanedanegbe and Ugbo Ogie, were found guilty on a charge of illegal possession of firearms.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Igho Braimah, who delivered the judgment, however, gave them an option of fine of N50, 000 each.

    She said while the prison term would run concurrently, the fine option of N50, 000 would be cumulative.

    Braimah ordered that the firearms be forfeited to the government and handed over to the police.

    Before the judgment, counsel to Idanedaegbe, Mr. I.B. Omoifo, asked the magistrate to be lenient with his client, who was a first offender.

    He noted that being a young man with potential and having been of good behaviour through the trial, his client should be cautioned and discharged.

    “He is a young man who has been of good behaviour through this trial. I urge the court to consider this. It is only human to err.

    “I am also urging this court to consider the fact that this young man has no previous criminal record. I plead passionately for the second accused to be cautioned and discharged,” Omoifo said.

    The judgment brings to an end, the case of the three men, who were first arraigned before the court on March 31, 2014.

    The charge stated that the offence was committed on October 12, 2012, near Edaiken Primary School Road at Uselu in Benin City.

  • Police arraign duo over ‘unlawful possession of firearms’

    The Police yesterday arraigned Rilwan Mufutau,18 and Mufutau Lukmon, 22, for alleged unlawful possession of firearms.

    The duo was brought before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on charges of conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Kehinde Olatunde, said the accused committed the offence on May 15 at Ajegunle in Badagry, Lagos.

    He told the court that the accused, with others still at large, were caught with firearms, with intent to commit felony.

    “The accused were caught with a locally-made gun and a cartridge after the police received a tip-off from residents that some hoodlums were about to go out for a robbery operation. Some policemen from Ajegunle stormed the scene and arrested the accused, while others escaped. When a search was conducted on the accused, a pistol and cartridge were recovered,” he said.

    Olatunde said the offences contravened Sections 328 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which prescribes a seven-year jail term as penalty for offenders when convicted.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Aka Bashorun, granted them N100, 000 bail each with two sureties each in the like sum.

    He adjourned the case till September 31.

  • Uproar in Senate over alleged possession of firearms by Senators

    There was uproar in the Senate yesterday over the allegation that more then half of senators own firearms.

    Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South) made the allegation while contributing to a motion on “The plan of the Zamfara State Governor to arm vigilante groups in the state with rifles”.

    Ndume, who opposed the motion, noted that the problem in Zamfara State is that gunmen attack communities while the communities look helpless.

    He noted that if gunmen know that communities and villagers are armed, they would think twice before planning attack.

    He said: “Most senators are now clamouring for state police. Who will be in charge of state police if not governors? If there is state police, is it not the governors that will be in charge?

    “The state police will be a glorified vigilante group. It will be an improvement of vigilante groups.

    “Why is it that we are complaining when almost half of us senators own guns.”

    Immediately Ndume said that almost half of the senators own guns, there was uproar in the chambers.

    Most the Senators demanded that Ndume should withdraw the assertion because it was harmful to the lawmakers.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, described the assertion as “dangerous.”

    Ekweremadu said it was dangerous for Ndume to assume that senators own firearms.

    Insisting that there was no basis for the conclusion, Ekweremadu added: “I myself, I don’t have.

    “Please withdraw it. I don’t have myself,” Ekweremadu said.

    Ndume said: “Thank you, Mr. President. I withdraw that statement, assuming that we don’t own arms.”

    Later at a news conference, Ndume said that he did not say that all senators have guns.

    He noted that the fact is that some Nigerians have guns because the law allows it.

    He added, “The problem we have in this country is wrong people owing guns. Guns are in wrong hands. We should be honest to ourselves. The motion should have addressed the general problem we have in the country.

    “Some people are proposing state police while others say it would be abused.

    “Why don’t we address the problem of abuse to forestall abuse.”

    Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed (Kano Central), who sponsored that controversial motion, was adamant in his propositions.

    The motion caused the near breakdown of law and order in the Senate on Wednesday when a Zamfara Senator, Kabiru Marafa, accused Mohammed of planning a motion on his state without consulting him.

    Incidentally, 50 other senators were listed as co-sponsors of the motion.

    Senators Mohammed Jubrilla (Adamawa North) and Ndume withdrew their sponsorship of the motion.

    In his lead debate, Mohammed noted the concern of the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, for security challenges of the state and his efforts to solve the problem.

    He noted that the decision of the governor to arm the vigilante groups in Zamfara State with rifles is capable of further jeopardising the fragile security situation in the state.

    The Senate, however, adopted the prayer to request President Jonathan to deploy more security personnel to Zamfara State and other states with similar security challenges.

     

  • Reps seek 25-year jail for illegal arms possession

    Reps seek 25-year jail for illegal arms possession

    A bill stipulating 25-years jail term for illegal possession of firearms went through the second reading in the House of Representatives yesterday.

    The bill seeks to amend the Fire arms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which prescribes a four-year jail term for offenders.

    The bill got overwhelming support from members.

    Justifying the amendment of the principal Act, the sponsor of the bill, Dakuku Peterside (PDP, Rivers), noted that the influx of illegal arms into Nigeria “constitutes a serious threat to our unity, socio-political and economic development”.

    According to him, one of the key reasons the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) gave at a recent briefing on why Boko Haram was thriving is the proliferation of illegal arms.

    Peterside said: “A 2011 small and light arms survey by the United Nations (UN) shows that about 875 million of such weapons are produced in 100 countries and are in circulation.

    “Nigeria’s share of the illegal arms in circulation was put at about eight million in 2011 and 12 million in 2012, making Nigeria the country with the highest rate of prevalence of illegal arms in Africa alongside South Africa.”

    The lawmaker said the proliferation of small and light arms has become a network affair that needs to be broken.

    He said: “Proliferation of small and light arms thrive in Nigeria because of several cells involved in the trade; importers, transporters, those who warehouse it, those who market it, those who bear it, among others, very often the law focuses on those who bear it.

  • Prized possession becomes fragment

    IT was a very cold evening and the rain was still threatening to do more havoc. She had a date to keep and the weather made it look like an impossible mission. How can it be raining cats and dogs when she had to catch this emotional fish? Then the wind came once more and a flower vase which she cherished so much fell and broke into fragments. Some bad omen….She rushed towards it, picked the fragments, wishing she could glue the parts together again. This was a great gift that she had kept and cherished for so long and it was a painful loss indeed.

    Unfortunately, for our dear friend, a few fragments were missing and even if she found every piece, it would certainly be difficult to make this prized possession the same again. Just while she was busy fidgeting with the fragmented vase, a call came in and she quickly grabbed the phone. Good news? Well, for a few moments it was a great relief, indeed. It was great to hear the voice of her dear prince charming, the guy who has captured her heart. Has she captured this golden fish for life or are there some other contenders or pretenders to this emotional throne?

    “Hello Dave, how are you doing? I am ready and it looks like we are running late my darling.” The response on the line was obviously not too good and Sophia’s heart sank. The story was that he had an emergency to attend to and they would have to postpone the outing she had ‘over prepared’ for. Frustration and anger are two accomplices that would either let you know your status in a relation or push you off the edge of an emotional cliff. This interestingly was what happened in the case of our dear friend here.

    “Dave, do you think I am a baby? Do you think I do not know when somebody is making me a fool? If you think I am not important, then you should just hold on to the other person who you consider to be more important than I am.” She went on and on, and it was obvious that this babe was sitting on an emotional time bomb.

    Was this dude remorseful? Far from it! He was either tired of playing this hide-and-seek game or he was never really interested in the first place. “My dear, I guess if you cannot understand that I have other priorities to attend to, then I am not sure that we can flow together. I do not want someone who would give me hypertension and kill me before my time. I must say it was nice knowing you. Good bye.” A staccato of emotional bombs kept flying to and fro and it was obvious that they had come to the end of the road. The era of emotional pretence and lies were over and it was time to start stepping in new emotional waters.

    Now, knowing how most men think or not understanding how men talk about women and relationships often leads to an emotional disaster. If you talk to a number of people about their relationships then you would realise that this is usually where most of the misunderstandings come from. Both the “red flags” and the greatest positive indicators have to do with the same thing in men’s minds. You would also discover that the way a woman feels, reacts to, and communicates her own feelings and emotions is the greatest “make or break” place in a man’s mind.

    If a man feels attracted to a woman, enjoys being with her, and they’re spending a lot of amazing time together then she must be playing her part in the emotional bargain very well. However, the truth is that no matter how good you are, you need to also prepare yourself for the ‘bad times’ too.

    This is important because there’s going to be a situation that would come up along the line where you and your prince will see something differently and misunderstand each other. There might also be a time where a man does something that hurts your feelings, or shows that he isn’t thinking about you and your feelings.

    You need to understand how to manage such moments. Learn how to respond to emotional challenges, disappointments and emotional blackmail. You also need to ask yourself questions like how you share your feelings when at an emotional crossroads. Will you share with him in a way that will inspire and encourage him to open up to the fact that he might have done something wrong?

    Or will you share in a way that he’ll receive as blame or criticism? (Both of which will encourage a man to either feel angry or withdraw). The difference in these 2 choices of how you as a woman respond has everything to do with how you deal with and handle the emotions you have inside yourself. Do you have the patience and maturity to take the time to get in touch with your own feelings as you’re feeling them, and communicate from a place of positive intention? Or do you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, to where they control you.

  • AMCON takes possession of Babalakin’s property

    AMCON takes possession of Babalakin’s property

    •Over alleged N13.5b debt

    A detachment of armed policemen and bailiffs of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Friday evening, took possession of and sealed off a high rise building on 43A, Afribank Street, Victoria Island, Lagos owned by businessman-lawyer, Wale Babalakin.

    Their action according to a statement from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), was in execution of interim orders granted by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke against Roygate Properties Limited, believed to be owned by Babalakin.

    The orders were sequel to an ex-parte application filed by the AMCON in a suit marked: FHC/L/CS/1501/2012. Copies of the orders made on February 5 were conspicuously pasted on the gates of the VI house.

    Justice Aneke granted AMCON “interim possession of the property at 43A” Afribank Street, pursuant to a tripartite legal mortgage registered on October 14, 2010 between Roygate (the borrower) , Stabilini Visioni Limited (surety/mortgagor) and Guaranty Trust Bank (the lender.)

    The court also granted AMCON similar possession over properties at Plots 270 and 273 Trans Amadi Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The court restrained Roygate, its directors, subsidiaries and sister companies from transferring or dealing with any of its funds in 20 banks listed in the application, or anywhere else up to the N13.5billion allegedly owed by the company.

    Justice Aneke restrained the banks from allowing Roygate “operate any bank accounts” held by it in the banks.

    The court ordered the banks to serve on AMCON lawyers, within seven days of the service of the order on them, “an affidavit disclosing the respondent’s (Roygate’s) balance on accounts held with the said banks jointly and severally as at the date of the order.”

    Justice Aneke also ordered the Nigeria Police Force to assist in the enforcement of the orders, which he held, should subsist pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The Hon. Justices Aneke set Feb 19 2013 as the return date’

    Just few months ago, similar order was given to AMCON to take possession of some property and assets owned by one of its debtors, Tonique Oil Services Limited.

    The Corporation executed the said orders on Tonique Oil’s premises in Ikoyi and Gbagada, Lagos state with the assistance of law enforcement agents, lawyers and court bailiffs.

    AMCON had previously reiterated its commitment to ensure the resolution of all Non-Performing Loans purchased in accordance with the AMCON Act.