The Nation Newspaper

Tag: trader

  • Nurse, trader arraigned for alleged baby theft

    A nurse and a market woman, who allegedly conspired to steal a day-old baby, have been arraigned at an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos.

    The 56-year-old trader, Theresa Ezeala and Augustina Oparaocha, 54, were arraigned on a two- count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    They pleaded not guilty when the prosecutor, Inspector Simeon Imhonwa, read the charges.

    Imhonwa told the court that the women on November 1, 2014, conspired to steal a day-old baby of one Lovely Nwakwu, at a hospital located in Idi-Orogbo Ayobo, Lagos.

    According to him, the complainant, Nwakwu, is Ezeala’s niece, while the accused is her guardian from childhood.

    Imhonwa told the court that the complainant was impregnated by someone who refused to take responsibility, so her aunty, cared for her during her pregnancy.

    “On the day of delivery, a male child was born through caesarean, while Oparaocha was the nurse in charge. The baby was not given to the mother on the excuse that she was not capable of taking care of the baby.

    “The duo, however, conspired to steal the child and never returned the baby to the mother, “Imhonwa said.

    When the Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi, asked Ezeala the where about of the baby, she replied that she took the baby to Imo.

    Ezeala told the court that the baby is with their relative in Imo, who will take care of him on her behalf.

    According to Ezeala, this is because it is a disgrace to have a fatherless child.

    “It is an abomination in my place for a child to be fatherless, so I gave the child to our relative, ‘’Ezeala said.

    However, the prosecutor said prior to her arraignment, the police visited the home of the relative in Imo, but the house was uninhabited.

    “The place was locked and it seemed no one lives there anymore,” Imhonwa said.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 278 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Magistrate Osunsanmi granted them N2 million bail each, with two sureties each.

    She added that the sureties must be landed property owners in Lagos State and their addresses be verified.

    She adjourned the case till September 30.

  • Trader stabs woman for ‘dating’ husband

    A 22-year-old trader, Kuburat Sanni, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly stabbing a woman accused of dating her husband.

    Mrs Sanni, who lives at Akindia Street, Agege, Lagos, is being tried for breach of peace, assault and conspiracy.

    Prosecuting officer Kehinde Olatunde, said that the accused and others still at large allegedly committed the offences on July 9 at her residence.

    He said the accused and the others assaulted one Miss Mariam Bala, 20, by stabbing her with “a broken bottle, scissors and knife.”

    Olatunde said Mrs Sanni accused the complainant of having an affair with her husband and that she had had series of abortions for him.

    Olatunde said: “The complainant was sent by her mother to deliver a message to her elder sister who lives in the same house with the accused. When she got there, the accused, who claimed that the complainant was having an affair with her husband locked her in a room and called some hoodlums. They tore Miss Bala’s clothes and stabbed her with knives, bottles and scissors all over her body.”

    According to the prosecutor, the Miss Bala fainted due to the profuse loss of blood.

    “If not for the quick intervention of neighbours who rushed her to the hospital, the complainant would have been dead,” Olatunde said.

    He said in the process of assaulting the complainant, her phone, valued at N20,000 and N30,000 cash which was to be deliver to her sister was stolen from her.

    The offence, Olatunde said contravened Sections 166, 171 and 410 of the Criminal Laws.

    The accused pleaded innocence and was granted N50, 000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Magistrate Aka Bashorun adjourned the case till September 1.

  • Trader dies in accident

    A meat seller died yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, when a truck hit his motorcycle at Mojere Market.

    The deceased was said to be on his way to keep an appointment.

    Eyewitnesses said the motorcyclist was trying to overtake the truck.

    The accident caused a  gridlock on Iworoko Road.

    The police and officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) ensured free flow of traffic.

    Passers-by wept as the body of the victim was being conveyed to the hospital.

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi confirmed the incident.

    Adeyemi said the driver was being interrogated.

    The victim’s remains had been deposited at the State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH).

  • Trader ‘dupes’ businessman of N3.2m

    A trader, Blessing Ebele,31, was yesterday arraigned before a Surulere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly obtaining N3.2 million from a businessman under the pretext of supplying him 1,800 cartons of matches.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Jimah Iseghede, told the court that the accused committed the offences on August 12 at Iddo Market, Lagos.

    He said the accused fraudulently obtained N3.2million from one Mr Abiodun Adeniyi, under the pretext of supplying him the goods.

    According to the prosecutor, the accused did not supply the goods as promised and also refused to refund the money when it was demanded.

    The accused,  pleaded not guilty.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.F. Adeeyo, granted the accused N500, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum. She adjourned the case till May 26.

     

     

  • N3m car for Kaduna trader

    N3m car for Kaduna trader

    I never dreamt of owning a ‘Tokunbo’ (used) car, not even in three years to come,” said Mrs Bola Johnson, a petty trader in Kabala West, Kaduna.

    Now, she has a brand new vehicle worth over N3m. It did not come from the proceeds of her small shop. The trader took part in a raffle draw organised by Nestle Foods and her ticket number hit the top prize: a 2014 Hyundai Accent.

    Mrs Johnson said she could not afford sitting it out with the raffle crowd at the premises of ‘S&S’ Shopping Plaza in the Barnawa area of the city, believing “the game” was not really worth the trouble.

    Even when her ticket won the prize and she was called on the phone, she still did not believe it. The organisers had decided that anybody not present would be contacted twice on the phone, thereafter the winning ticket would be discarded and another draw made.

    She told The Nation that she could not answer the first call placed to her, but was lucky to pick the second call and the caller informed her that she has won a brand new car. Although she felt it was 419, she decided to take the next available, but quickest means of transport to the place. Since Okada does not operate in the city anymore, she decided to hire a tricycle from Kabala West to Barnawa, a distance of almost 10km.

    Even when she got to the venue and was shown her car, she still could not believe it until those present started congratulating her. Apparently reading her mind, one of the people present told her “Madam, you are not dreaming, it is real”.

    That was when she immediately called her husband, shouting in Yoruba, “otito ni o, won ti ko kokoro moto funmi o” meaning “yes, it is real o, I have been given the car keys”.

    She told The Nation that: “I was totally amazed when I received a call that I have won a car. In fact, I didn’t believe it because this is Nigeria and it is very easy to fall ‘mugu’. But, since I was asked to come to a popular plaza, I felt there was no harm in trying. I was actually informed by Charles, the sales representative who usually supply me Nestlé products that, there will be ýa draw today, but I never believed I could win anything from here. So, I decided that I cannot close my shop where I get little daily income and go and sit down at one draw. I am a petty trader, I run a small provision store in Kabala. So, Charles come to supply me Nestlé products. When they started the promo, he will tell me, Aunty, buy more products from me, so that you can ýget more raffle tickets to participate in the forthcoming draw. He would tell me, you can win anything including a car. I will just tell him, Charles go and sit down, that kind of promo is always fraudulent, the companies have their way of giving prizes to their family members and even staff. So, I was just patronising him, because at least I sell the products”

    Mrs Johnson who is in her late 30s, said further: ”I only see things like this on television with people winning cars and other big prizes, but I never believed it could be real until today. I believe it is not what I sell that earns me this; it is just God in His powers that said this will happen to me.

    “If someone had told me that, I will own a ‘Tokunbo’ car I won’t believe it, not even in three years to come, but here I am with a brand new car. This is a big favour from God Almighty and I return all the glory to Him. God has favoured me, He has surprised me on this day, 4th February, 2015. “This is a sign that, 2015 is my year.”