The Nation Newspaper

Tag: prosecute

  • We’ll prosecute perpetrators of Warri crisis, says Uduaghan

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has said the perpetuators of the recent crisis in Warri North Local Government Area will be prosecuted.

    Uduaghan spoke at a peace and security stakeholders meeting in Warri with security commanders and leaders of ljaw and ltsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government.

    The governor said an assessment of the area would be carried out and relief materials sent to the victims.

    He told the gathering that the government in colloboration with the State Oil Producing Communities Development Commission (DESOPADEC) would help rebuild the affected communities and provide relief materials for the displaced victims.

    He said: “The government condemns the perpetuators of this violence and will prosecute all persons arrested in connection with the crisis. We are on top of the situation and the security agencies have been strengthened to handle the situation.

    “Let me assure you all that the government in collaboration with DESOPADEC will assess the area and rehabilitate the affected communities and victims.”

    The governor thanked Itsekiri youths for not retaliating and commended Ijaw leaders, especially Chief Edwin Clark, who intervened to calm the situation.

    TheTransition Committee Chairman of Warri North, David Edun, said the attackers destroyed several Itsekiri communities, including Gbokoda, Obaghoro and Ebrohimi.

    The leader of the Ijaw community, Emmanuel Ebimami and the leaders of Itsekiri community, Micheal Diden, Ayiri Emami and Ezekiel Akpasibowa said the violence was perpetuated by criminals, who wanted to steal crude oil.

    They said: “This violence is caused by criminals who wanted to break pipelines and steal crude oil, it is not an ethnic agitation. “

    We thank the governor and security operatives for arresting the situation.”

  • FRSC to prosecute defaulters on licences, number plates

    The Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) has said the Commission may have to prosecute defaulters regarding new number plates and vehicle licences to enforce compliance after the lapse of the September 30 ultimatum.

    The FRSC Zonal Commander representing Kwara, Ekiti and Kogi states, Assistant Corps Marshal, Kehinde Adeleye spoke in Efon Alaaye-Ekiti while sensitising the community on procedures and processes involved in obtaining/renewing vehicle licences and changing old number plates.

    Adeleye warned that vehicle owners should carry out renewal before September 30, noting that by October 1, full enforcement and consequent prosecution of defaulters of both new licences and number plates would be implemented.

    According to him, vehicle owners anywhere in the state should approach the commission’s office in Ado-Ekiti, capital of the state, to process and obtain the new documents.

    Adeleye said: “The Commission has nothing to gain by punishing any driver, especially commercial operators, for failing to obtain the new license and number plates. What we are here for is to explain all that is involved and for us to go and do it before the time lapses.

    “We know that for those who would play the wise game, the period between now and September is enough to effect the changes,” he said.

    Adeleye noted that the latest move was based on findings that high rate of carnage on the roads in the country was as a result of “remote factors like training and licensing of drivers and enforcement of general road traffic regulations.”

    Ekiti State Sector Commander, Mr Rindom Kumven noted that the Command was committed to ensuring that vehicle owners in Efon Alaye and its environs “do not fall victims of contravening the law as a matter of ignorance.”

    Kumven stated that the command had a duty to educate and inform the citizens beforehand about what it entailed to either obtain a new driver’s license or renew an old one and also change their vehicles’ old registration numbers.

  • Police to prosecute officer for ‘killing’ colleague

    Ondo State Commissioner of Police Patrick Dukumor has said the command would soon prosecute the police officer who allegedly killed his colleague at a beer parlour in Ondo town.

    Dukumor spoke with reporters at the weekend in his office in Akure, the state capital. He said the suspect is in police custody.

    The late Police Inspector Adelakun Lawal was allegedly killed by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kazeem Shehu, at a beer parlour in Okerowo, Ondo town, on February 2.

    It was learnt that the two officers, said to be close friends, were relaxing at a beer parlour at Ejankole Street around 5pm when an argument ensued between them.

    An eyewitness said other people in the bar tried to broker peace between them but Shehu allegedly brought out a pistol and shot the late Lawal.

    Lawal was taken to the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by doctors.

    Shehu was apprehended and handed over to the police.

    Dukumor said the command is waiting for a directives from the Inspector General of Police on the matter.

    He said: “The police officer has been in detention since he killed his colleague and we are awaiting directive from the IG on the next line of action.

    “I am optimistic that the officer will be dismissed and punished for killing his colleague.”

    Dukumor reiterated the command’s resolve to rid the state of crime.

    He said: “We are modern-day policemen. We shall be people-friendly but would not tolerate criminals. We will protect law-abiding residents and give people confidence to sleep with their two eyes closed.”

  • Activists urge Fed Govt to prosecute terror suspects

    Twenty four hours after President Goodluck Jonathan celebrated the arrest of terrorism suspects implicated in the bombings of the Nigeria Police headquarters, Abuja, the United Nations building in Abuja and the Catholic Church in Madalla, near Abuja, where many Nigerians were killed, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the Federal Government to prosecute the suspects, making use of the best legal hands Nigeria can provide through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

    The group said the Federal Government should not leave the prosecution of the suspects to the Nigeria Police prosecution teams because of the alleged serial incompetence and professional indiscipline among the police who have compromised high profile prosecutions.

    A statement by HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, said it is wrong and ill-timed for President Jonathan to celebrate the arrest of the suspects before they are tried in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution, particularly sections 6 and 35[5] of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    The group said it makes no meaning for the Federal Government to celebrate high profile arrests when most Nigerians know that the Nigeria Police prosecution teams in the past messed up high profile cases, allowing the suspects to escape the long arm of the law because of incompetence, corruption and compromise on their part.

    Citing the case of the murder suspects involved in the assassination of the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige (SAN), who were discharged by the Oyo State High Court, following the incompetence of the police prosecution team, it said posterity would not forgive President Jonathan should he allow the prosecution of the suspects to be compromised by the Nigeria Police prosecution teams.

    The group said Nigerians have lost confidence in the ability of the Nigeria Police to obtain quality convictions in the courts of law against the high profile terrorism suspects, since the Inspector-General of Police Mr. Abubakar Mohammed told the media recently that he is unaware of the existence of an extant anti-terrorism law and other legal provisions against mass murder under which the detained suspects can be prosecuted.

    HURIWA said rather than play to the gallery by telling Nigerians some ‘phantom victories’ of the security forces over the terrorists’ attacks on the North, the Jonathan administration would achieve more by reorganising the legal mechanism at the highest level under the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to take up the prosecution of the suspects and engage tested lawyers to handle the matter.

    Alternatively, the rights group asked that the suspects be tried at the International Crimes Court (ICC) to ensure swift, decisive and effective justice delivery.

  • EFCC to prosecute lawyer for alleged N600m ‘fraud’

    EFCC to prosecute lawyer for alleged N600m ‘fraud’

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is to arraign an Enugu lawyer, Christian Chukwudozie Ebuzoeme, today for an alleged N600million scam.

    A statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said the accused and his accomplice, Amaechi Okoye (now at large), set up a phoney investment scheme to defraud the public.

    The statement said: “Ebuzoeme,the Chief Executive officer (CEO) of Karchack Services Limited, will be arraigned for allegedly defrauding the public through a phoney investment scheme involving over N600million.

    “The duo for three years mobilised deposits from the public ,promising huge returns on investment as a bait.

    “At the beginning, few investors were paid dividends which helped to convince others to join the fray.

    “But the flow of dividends soon dried up. After several months of being unable to pay their investors, the two partners split the company.

    “Okoye continued to manage the business while Ebuzoeme moved on to establish Yardenit Limited but the operations were still the same.

    “They continued to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.

    “ Ebuzoeme and his partner in crime expanded their business to new frontiers in China and South Africa.”

    The commission yesterday arraigned Etchie Joseph before a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, for alleged impersonation and false receipt of money.

    The EFCC alleged that Joseph falsely presented himself as Stanley Oberman from Los Angeles, USA, to a lady, Veronica Pena, who he had wanted to defraud of $5,450.

    He was arraigned before Justice Adebisi Akinlade on a three-count charge of attempts to obtain money by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents.

    EFCC’s counsel Francis Usani told the court that Joseph was arrested by EFCC operatives at a cybercafé in Lagos.

    Joseph allegedly claimed he was a resident of Kentucky, United States of America.

    He was said to have confessed in his statement to the EFCC, that he attempted to swindle Pena but was not successful.

    When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Usani said the agency was ready to begin trial and asked the court to fix a date.

    But defence counsel O. F. Latona told the court that he got the notice of the arraignment late.

    He pleaded for a short adjournment to study the charges and prepare his defence.

    Justice Akinlade adjourned the case till January 19 for hearing of the bail application.

    She ordered that the suspect be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prison.