The Nation Newspaper

Tag: prosecutor

  • Man in court for asaulting girlfriend over cash

    A 37-year-old man, Chibuke Nwachukwu, on Wednesday appeared before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly injuring his girlfriend with a cutlass following an argument over money.

    The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of assault.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Akpan Ikem, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 28, at Small London, Seme border.

    He said that the accused and the complainant, Miss Glory Raymond, got into an argument over money when the former carried out the act.

    “He was supposed to give her money, but his continual refusal resulted into a heated argument between both of them.

    “During the argument, the accused used a cutlass to inflict injuries on the left hand of the complainant,” he said.

    Ikem said that the offence contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria 2011.

    The section prescribes three years imprisonment for an offender.

    The accused, who was not represented by a counsel, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence.

    The Magistrate, Mr Jimoh Adefioye granted bail to the accused in the sum of N100, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

    He adjourned the case till April 12, for further hearing.

     

  • Cart pusher charged with stabbing colleague over N500

    A 28-year-old cart pusher, Jegede Adetayo, was brought before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday in Lagos for  allegedly stabbing a man with a broken bottle over N500.

    Jegede is facing a charge of assault occasioning harm.

    The  prosecutor, Sgt. Ihiehie Lucky had told the court that on March 3 the complainant, Idris Ibrahim, also a cart pusher, came to Ogudu Police Station to report the incident.

    Ihiehie said the complainant had invited Jegede on March 2 to follow him to carry some iron rods at Maryland but the accused refused in spite of the promise to give him N1,000.

    “In the process, a boy popularly known as Chelsea, decided to go with the complainant.

    “The complainant said when they came back,  he gave them N500 each and they all left.

    “The accused  woke up at about 9.30 p.m. to demand the balance of N500 and after much argument, he took a broken bottle and stabbed the complainant, ” he said.

    The accused, however, denied the charge.

     

    In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs O. Sule-Amzat, granted the accused bail in the sum of N40, 000 with two sureties who must be gainfully employed.

    she adjourned the case to March 27.

  • Why govt fired lead prosecutor in Supreme Court Justice’s trial, by AGF

    Why govt fired lead prosecutor in Supreme Court Justice’s trial, by AGF

    The Federal Government said yesterday that it fired Charles Adeogun-Phillips, the lead prosecutor in the trial of Supreme Court’s Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, for alleged conflict of interests.

    This is contrary to the claim by the former prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) that he withdrew.

    Adeogun-Phillips led the prosecution team until February 9 when he announced his withdrawal from the case. He was silent on what informed his decision.

    He was the leader of ‘Team 16’of the National Prosecution Coordination Committee (NPCC) saddled with the prosecution of the case involving Justice Ngwuta and three officials of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Registrar, Ahmed Gambo Saleh.

    Saleh, Muhammad Abdulrahman Sharif and Rilwanu Lawal (both officials of the Supreme Court’s Accounts Department) were charged with alleged diversion of about N2.2billion and acceptance of gratification from contractors engaged by the court.

    On February 7, the office of the AGF withdrew the nine-count charge, marked: CR/13/2016, filed against Saleh and others before the High Court of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) on November 3 last year. State’s lawyer, Mrs. Hajara Yusuf was silent on the reason behind the withdrawal.

    Subsequent media reports, quoting some sources close to Adeogun-Phillips, however attributed his sudden withdrawal from Justice Ngwuta’s trial to his disagreement with the office of the AGF over its decision to discontinue the trial of Saleh and others, which is believed to have involved the largest amount of money – N2.2b.

    But, the office of the AGF yesterday faulted such reports, claiming that the lawyer was sacked because he allegedly withheld information about his involvement in a case against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Salihu Isah, Media aide to the AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said in a statement yesterday that it was wrong for the AGF to retain Adeogun-Phillips while he was representing a private interest against a government agency.

    Isah also faulted insinuation that the decision to discontinue Saleh and others’ trial had religious and ethnic undertone.

    He said the charge against the Supreme Court officials was withdrawn because Saleh had agreed to serve as prosecution witness in Justice Ngwuta’s trial, which resumes today.

    He said a letter disengaging Adeogun-Phillips sent to him on Februrary 6 was acknowledged on February 8.

    The letter partly reads: “Contrary to impressions given by Charles Adeogun-Philips, the lead prosecutor in the suit against Supreme Court judge, Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta in various reports, suggesting that he withdrew from the case on his own volition, the National Prosecution Coordination Committee (NPCC) that engaged his services actually withdrew thefiat issued to him to prosecute the case over non-disclosure of conflict of interest and for other sundry reasons.

    “The reports in a section of the media last Friday that he left in protest due to last week Tuesday’s dropping of charges earlier instituted against the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Ahmed Gambo Saleh and two other officials of the apex court, Muhammad Abdulrahman Sharif and Rilwanu Lawal which he is also handling for the Federal Government and withdrawn against his consent, cannot be relied upon.

    “The insinuation that the AGF withdrew the case against the three Supreme Court officials because they are Northerners is also unwarranted due to the fact that the dropping of the suit was done in good faith and in the context of plea bargaining to achieve greater goals in the prosecution of the other bigger cases that are ongoing against Justice Sylvester Ngwuta among others.

    “So, it is wicked and childish for anyone to allude undue colouration to an action taken in national interest and reduce it to a North/South thing with a view to confuse the discerning public.

    “This is not the first time such process will be entered into in law, especially so as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 allows plea bargaining in line with national interest.

    “And as a precedence, there was a time in the history of this nation that the allegations against Sergeant Rogers who was accused of killing Kudirat Abiola were stepped down for him to be used to testify against Major Hamza Al-Mustapha in the case between him and the Lagos state government over the killing of the wife of the acclaimed winner of the 1992 presidential election, late Chief M.K.O Abiola.

    “It has now clearly shown that, either corruption is fighting back or simply that some people want to be mischievous and to hoodwink and divert the attention of Nigerians from the core issues at stake.

    “Charles Adeosun-Philips is handling a brief in an ongoing suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which amounts to conflict of interest, which he failed to disclose when being engaged.

    “The suit in question involves a bank executive, who is alleged to have laundered  $40m on behalf of former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke as part of the $153, 310, 000.00 she is alleged to have siphoned from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “The EFCC is currently prosecuting the case before the Honourable Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos pursuant to Section 17 of the Advanced Fees Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 as well as Section 44(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria.

    “It would be recalled that the National Prosecution Coordination Committee (NPCC) chaired by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) was inaugurated by Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on May 27, 2016 at the Presidential Villa.

    ”It is charged with assisting the Attorney-General of the Federation in the exercise of his prosecutorial powers under Section 150 and 174(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; especially as it involves high profile criminal cases,” he said.

    Isah, who is also the Head of Communication and Public Affairs at the NPCC, said information about Adeogun-Philips’ sack was conveyed to him vide a letter titled, ‘Withdrawal of your name as a member of Team 16 of the National Prosecution Team handling charges No. FHC/ABJ/C/232/16-FRN vs Sylvester N. Ngwuta’ dated 6th February, 2017 and signed by the Special Assistant to the President on Research and Special Projects, who doubles as the NPCC Secretary, Sylvester O. Imhanobe.

    He said Adeogun-Philips acknowledged receipt of the letter through an email message dated February 8 where, according to Isah, he said: “Your letter of 6 February 2017, is received with great relief. I wish you and/or your colleagues at the NPCC, success in the continued prosecution of your ‘high profile’ cases.  With my very best wishes.”

    Isah said, in view of its experience with the Adeogun-Phillips’ case, the NPCC “plans to carry out a critical surgery on the present composition of the entire prosecution team to weed out those with question marks around them, because they had been informed before hands that anyone found wanting would be eased out since it is a continuous process.

    “Meanwhile, the other members of Team 16 of the NPCC comprising Hajara Yusuf, Dr. M. Lawal Yusufari and Ibrahim Waru remain intact as only its leader is affected.”

  • Theft: Man bags 18 months imprisonment

    Theft: Man bags 18 months imprisonment

    An Evbouriaria Magistrates’ Court in Benin on Thursday sentenced a 33-year-old man, Ibrahim Samuel, to 18 months imprisonment for stealing six electrical fuses and five lengths of Copper wires.

    The Magistrate, Mrs C.E Oghuma, sentenced Samuel after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of stealing.

    Oghuma gave the convict an option to pay N30,000 as fine in lieu of the term in prison.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Olatoye Oluwaseun, had told the court that the convict committed the offence on October 23, at Isiuwa Street, off Upper Sakponba, Benin.

    Oluwaseun said the property belonged to the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

    He said the offence contravened Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Edo State.

  • Jobless man arraigned for damaging lotto machine

    Jobless man arraigned for damaging lotto machine

    An unemployed man, Falolade Ayinla, who allegedly damaged a lottery machine and stole N169,000, was on Thursday charged before an Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.

    The accused was, however, granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.

    The accused, whose address is unknown, is being tried for malicious damage, causing bodily harm and theft.

    Ayinla, however, pleaded not guilty to the three-counts preferred against him before Magistrate Bola Olagbegi-Adelabu.

    Prosecutor Mary Ajiteru said the accused committed the offences with others still at large on June 5 at noon in Ikorodu, recounting that the accused and others beat up the complainant, Kamiyo Adeshola, damaged his lottery machine and robbed him of N169,000, she told the court.

    “They used an iron stand to cut the complainant’s fingers and toes thereby causing him grievous bodily harm.

    “This accused and others at large went on to damage the Lotto machine of the complainant and stole his money forcefully,’’ Cpl Ajiteru said.

    The offences contravened Sections 285, 243 and 338 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The magistrate has adjourned the case to Sepember 16 for mention.

  • Three to die by hanging for robbery in Delta

    Three to die by hanging for robbery in Delta

     

    An Ogwashi-Uku High Court presided over by Justice A.O.Akpovi has sentenced two bus drivers, Okechukwu Mba, Christian Joseph and a conductor, Ekwe Nwomah to death by hanging for armed robbery.

    The court convicted the three accused persons for the offence of conspiracy in count 1 and armed robbery in count IV and were each sentenced to death by hanging.

    Justice Akpovi sat on warrant at Ogwashi-Uku to conclude the case.

    Prosecutor, Martins Omakor had told the Court that 31 years old Ekwe Nwomah, 30 years old Okechukwu Mba and 28 years old Christian Joseph on the 13th of July, 2007 at Ogwashi-Uku within the Oghwashi-Uku Judicial Division committed series of armed robbery operations at Kwale junction, Ogwashi-Uku by invading the houses of persons and robbing them of monies and valuables while armed with guns.

    Omakor  further told the court that nemesis caught up with them when they ordered the occupants of one the houses they visited to open the door but unknown to the robbers, the occupant was a Police Inspector who opened gun fire at the robbers when they tried to force their way into his apartment. The pellets hit the 1st accused person, Ekwe Nwomah on the chest region and fell to the ground while the other robbers fled and abandoned him thinking he was death.

    The first accused person was arrested the next day by residence through the trail of blood stains to where he managed to creep inside the bush and was handed over to the Ogwashi-uku Police where he gave information to the Police on how to arrest the two fleeing members who were eventually apprehended and charged to court after the conclusion of police investigations.

  • RCCG’s security man docked for impersonating Pastor Adeboye

    RCCG’s security man docked for impersonating Pastor Adeboye

    A security man with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Awobola Babatunde, who allegedly opened a bank account in the name of the General Overseer, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, was arraigned in Lagos on Monday.

    The accused, 32, whose address is unknown, is facing a four-count charge of stealing, impersonation, conspiracy and opening an account in Adeboye’s name and attempting to cash a cheque of N600, 000.

    He pleaded not guilty to the charges at an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court.

    According to the prosecutor, Insp. Aighoi Gbemileke, the accused with others still at large committed the offences on June 6 at No. 1/9, Redemption Way, Ebute Meta, at 9.00 a.m.

    He said the accused stole a Fidelity Bank cheque valued at N600, 000 belonging to the RCCG General Overseer.

    “The accused falsely presented himself as Pastor Adeboye by opening a savings account at Aguda, Surulere branch of Fidelity Bank in his name.

    “He opened the account in order to cash the cheque and convert the money to personal use.

    “Babatunde also opened the account in order to be stealing money from the church as they plan to pay in more cheques,” Gbemileke alleged.

    He said the offences violated Sections 285, 378, 404 and 408 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs B. Folarin-Williams, admitted the accused to a bail of N100, 000 in addition to two sureties in like sum.

    The sureties, she said, must be blood relations of the accused and also produce evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government as part of the bail conditions.

    The case was adjourned to Aug. 4 for mention.

  • Man, 22, docked over alleged theft of N50,000 phone

    Man, 22, docked over alleged theft of N50,000 phone

     

    An Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Tuesday granted N20,000 bail to a 22-year-old man, Tosin Adenuga, who was charged with stealing a cell phone valued at N50,000.

     

    Magistrate A. Oshodi-Makanju said that the accused should also provide two responsible sureties in like sum.

     

    “The sureties are persons who must be gainfully employed and they must show evidence of tax payment, as well as have their addresses verified,’’ Oshodi-Makanju said.

     

    The accused, of no fixed address, had pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge bordering on stealing.

     

    The Prosecutor, Cpl. Kemi Adeniran, said that Adenuga committed the offences on March 24 at about 8.25pm, at Sabo Roundabout in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

     

    Adeniran said that the accused stole one blue 650 HTC Desire cell phone valued at N50,000 belonging to one Olasunka Oshinowo.

     

    She said that the accused contravened Sections 409 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

     

    The case was adjourned till May 5 for mention

  • Woman jailed for 24 months for selling hemp

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday sentenced a 35-year old woman, Iyabo Olabimpe, to 24 months imprisonment over drug trafficking.

    The convict was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a one-count charge bordering on the offense.

    She pleaded guilty to the charge.

    Following her plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Jeremiah Aernan, tendered the statement of the accused, a request for scientific aid form and the bulk of exhibit as evidence before the court.

    He urged the court to sentence the accused based on the evidence adduced by prosecution.

    Delivering the judgment, Justice Rabiu Shagari found the accused guilty as charged.

    She sentenced her to 24 months imprisonment, which she said would start running from the date of her arrest.

    The judge also ordered the exhibit to be destroyed by the NDLEA.

    The prosecutor had told the court that the convict was arrested on Sept. 11, 2015 at Soj St., in Ayiata near Ikorodu, Lagos.

    He said that she was found in possession of 700g of Cannabis Sativa a.k.a. Indian hemp, which she sold to people.

    Aernan said the offense contravened the provisions of sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.

  • Prosecutor seeks to summon Murdoch in Deutsche Bank trial

    Munich prosecutors requested that 30 additional witnesses including Rupert Murdoch, publisher Friede Springer and Axel Springer (SPRGn.DE) Chief Executive Mathias Doepfner be summoned in a trial against Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) executives.

    Munich prosecutors are pursuing criminal allegations against current and former Deutsche Bank executives in the wake of a civil suit brought by the heirs of deceased media magnate Leo Kirch.

    Prosecutors have accused the executives of misleading the court about the bank’s role in connection with the collapse of the Kirch media empire in 2002.

    They want to establish whether Deutsche Bank sought a mandate to restructure and sell parts of the Kirch empire and now want to question executives at rival media companies, prosecutors said.

    Defense lawyers have until September 22 to respond to the request, after which the court will decide whether to summon the additional witnesses.

    Leo Kirch, who died in 2011, blamed former Deutsche Bank chairman Rolf Breuer for triggering his group’s downfall by questioning its creditworthiness in a 2002 television interview. Deutsche Bank and former board members deny wrongdoing.

    The accusation set off one of Germany’s most acrimonious corporate disputes. Deutsche Bank settled a civil suit in February 2014 in a deal costing about 925 million euros ($1.04 billion).