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Tag: Ugolor

  • Ugolor: Nov 5 for hearing in N5m non-compliance award against IGP

    The Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, has fixed November 5 for hearing in a non-compliance case over a judgment it gave on May 6, 2013, ordering the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to pay N5 million judgment sum to an activist, Rev. David Ugolor.

    In the suit between the IGP, Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation (appellants/respondents) and Rev. David Ugolor (respondent/applicant), the lawyer to the respondent, Emmanuel Afolabi, prayed the court to  direct the appellants/respondents to “obey the order it made on May 6, 2013, directing the appellant/respondents to pay the judgment sum of N5,000,000.00 to the Deputy Chief Registrar of this court, who shall immediately deposit same into an interest-yielding account to abide by the outcome of the appeal filed by the appellants/respondents”.

    Afolabi said the application was filed on the following grounds:

    “The appellants have failed to obey the order of this court directing the appellants to pay the judgment sum of this court, who shall immediately deposit same into an interest-yielding account.

    “The order made on May 6, 2013 has not been obeyed till date, whereas the order has not been set aside by the appellate court.

    “The conduct of the appellants/respondents shows that the appellants/respondents have no respect for the lawful order made by the court.”

    Presiding judge, Justice P. M. Ekpe, supported by Justice H. A. Barka and Justice U. A. Ogakwu, fixed hearing in the matter for November 5.

    The Appellate Court awarded N5 million against the applicants/respondents for allegedly detaining Ugolor illegally over the murder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the former Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, on May 4, 2012.

     

     

  • Ugolor carpets Jonathan for ‘abandoning’ Oshiomhole

    Ugolor carpets Jonathan for ‘abandoning’ Oshiomhole

    Popular rights’ activist Rev. David Ugolor has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of “turning his back” on Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole when his personal aide, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, was killed by those suspected to be agents of the Federal Government.

    Ugolor, in a fax message yesterday from the United Kingdom (UK) to our correspondent in Benin, the state capital, wondered why the President expected the same “Comrade Governor” to rescue him politically.

    The statement said: “When Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde was assassinated, the Comrade Governor cried to the President. He had a shouting match with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; he called for justice from the police under M. D. Abubakar and the President ignored him.

    “Yet, this was a Comrade Governor who delivered almost 95 per cent of the votes to President Goodluck Jonathan in Edo State in the 2011 presidential election. And when it mattered most to him (Jonathan) to reciprocate the gesture, Mr. President turned his back on him.”

    The cleric noted that the President was not a friend of Edo residents, adding that he could not confidently canvass votes in the state.

    Ugolor also said an Edo indigene, who was the Secretary to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, was sacked by the Jonathan administration while the Petroleum Minister from his Bayelsa State, who he said had been in the eye of the storm was allowed to remain in office.

    Ugolor also noted that the Gelegele Port, which the Jonathan administration promised Edo State, had been taken to another state, although Edo has the largest gas deposit in Nigeria.

    The cleric alleged that the biggest gas company earmarked for Edo State was taken to Ogidigben, an Ijaw town.

    He urged Edo State residents not to fall for President Jonathan’s second term antics, after disappointing them when it mattered most.

  • Oyerinde: Falana, others to storm public hearing

    Oyerinde: Falana, others to storm public hearing

    Human right activist, Femi Falana, will on Wednesday lead the Civil Society Organisation to the Public Hearing of the House of Representative on the murder of Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde.

    Comrade Oyerinde was murdered at his Benin City residence on May 4 last year by unknown gunmen.

    The Public Hearing by the House of Representatives is sequel to a petition filed by the Conference of Non -Government Organisation of Nigeria (CONGOS).

    Falana is the legal counsel to the civil society organisation.

    Also, the President of Trade Union Congress, Comrade Peter Esele will lead some union leadership to attend the hearing.

    The TUC at its National Executive Council meeting in Benin City last weekend called for a probe into the murder of Oyerinde and frowned at the role played by the Nigerian Police in the course of investigating the murder.

    The Executive Director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Rev. David Ugolor confirmed the decision of Falana and Comrade Esele to attend the public hearing.

    Ugolor, who was arrested and detained for 48 days over alleged involvement in the murder challenged the police authorities to produce the video clips of the cross examination of Garuba Maisamari, the suspect that fingered him as the mastermind of the murder.

    Rev. Ugolor alleged that investigation by him revealed that the police tortured and shot Maisamari and Moses Okoro three times before they implicated him in the murder.

     

  • Oyerinde: Court orders release of Ugolor, one other

    Oyerinde: Court orders release of Ugolor, one other

    A Benin Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday discharged and acquitted human Rights activist, David Ugolor, charged with the murder of Olaitan Oyerinde, Principal Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.

    Also discharged and acquitted for the same offence is Willfred Iserhienrhien, who was charged along with Ugolor.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ugolor and nine others were brought before the court for alleged conspiracy, armed robbery and the murder of Oyerinde at his Ugbor residence on May 4.

    The court had consequently ordered their remand in custody, while waiting for the Director of Public Prosecutions’ advice.

    At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, Mr. Afolabi Olayinwola,counsel to Ugolor and Iserhienrhien, told the court that he was in possession of the DPP’s advice dated October 29.

    He said the advice stated that no prima facie case had been made against the accused persons, adding, “and by virtue of that letter, my clients have no case to answer.”

    Chief Magistrate Francis Idiake, who also acknowledged receipt of the DPP’s advice, said that he had taken into consideration the advice in the DPP’s report.

    Idiake said, “There is no prima facie case against the accused persons, it is hereby ordered that the accused persons be released from prison custody unconditionally.”

     

  • Oyerinde: DPP exonerates Ugolor, others

    Oyerinde: DPP exonerates Ugolor, others

    Security agencies might not have arrested the killers of the Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde following the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions to the Oredo Magistrate Court.

    Chief Magistrate Francis Idiake had on August 31 ordered that the police case file on the suspects arrested in connection to the murder of late Oyerinde be sent to the DPP for advice.

    The DPP in a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police and dated October 29 said two of the suspects, Danjuma Musa and Muritala Usman, have been in police custody since April 24 for unlawful possession of cartridges.

    It said FCID interrogated the suspects who later confessed to the murder of Olaitan that took place on May 4.

    This, it said was “evidently incongruous.”

    The DPP in the letter signed by Ade Irehovbude said the cut to size gun and one cartridge the suspects confirmed was used for the operation at Olaitan’s residence was recovered on April 24 by the Esigie Police Division.

    The letter said, “This is alleged to be a weapon used during the robbery incident that took place on May 4, 2012. Another incongruity. Could a weapon recovered and in possession of the police be confirmed by suspects to have been used for the commission of the offence?”

    The DPP, however, advised that a prima facie case of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and murder be made against Garba Usman Maismari, Auta Umaru Ali, Moses Asamah Okoro and Usman Adamu who confessed to the crime.

    It also said a prima facie case of receiving stolen property be made against Hassan Aliyu Babete and Idris Adulhamid who both made confessional statements.

    On Rev. David Ugolor, the DPP said no prima facie is made against him and ordered him to be released if still in custody.

    It said the confession of an accused person was not admissible evidence against a co-accused.

    Responding, Rev Ugolor said the police had no reason for arresting him apart from Maismari’s evidence which was used to frame him up.

    He said, “We have come to a glorious end of the battle to enthrone justice in my case and I thank God almighty who used great citizens to fight oppression in this country.

     

  • Remain steadfast, group urges Ugolor

    The Conference of Non-Government Organisations (CONGOs) in Edo State has assured an environmentalist, Rev. David Ugolor, of their continued support.

    Ugolor was arrested and detained in prisons custody for alleged involvement in the murder of Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, the former Principal Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    He was later released on bail.

    CONGOs urged him not to see the recent happenings as a setback, but a catalyst for him and his organisation, the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), to continue to speak for the downtrodden.

    During a visit of CONGOs officials to Ugolor yesterday, the group’s President, Comrade Jude Obasanmi, said: “Permit me to make a little retrospection on the recent happenings in which the integrity of active Civil Society practitioners was put to litmus test.

    “No doubt, your 41 days’ incarceration has proved to all that we have a long way to go in the quest to have a just and egalitarian society.”

    Assuring Ugolor of CONGOs’ support, Obasanmi appealed for the incorporation of the group in ANEEJ’s local and international activities.

    Thanking them for their support, Ugolor said: “Your action/demonstration on the streets with other groups is the first in our recent history as a nation.

    “They sent the right signal to the agents of state terror and the public that you cannot just frame up an innocent man and get away with it. “Those who wield lethal weapons purchased for them by tax payers’ money should not turn the weapons against the innocent tax payers.”

    He urged CONGOs to see his travail as a call to greater duty, adding that many innocent people were languishing in prisons for offences they knew nothing about.

    Ugolor urged CONGOs’ leadership to come up with a proposal that would reposition civil Society groups for greater service to humanity.

    CONGOs is a coalition of over 80 organisations

     

     

  • I’ll use Police N5m for prison reforms, says Ugolor

    The Executive Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Rev. David Ugolor, has promised to use the N5million compensation awarded to him by the court against the Nigerian Police Force as “seed money for prison and police reforms.”

    Ugolor was arrested and remanded in Oko prison after a suspect in accused him of sponsoring the murder of the Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde.

    He was granted bail by an Edo State Criminal High Court and awarded N5million damages by Justice Esther Edigin.

    Ugolor, in a chat with our correspondent, said his experience during the period exposed him to the treatment inmates suffer in Nigeria prisons.

    He said his interaction with inmates at the prison showed that more than 90 percent of them were awaiting trial while many of them are innocent of crimes they were accused of.

    According to him: “What people are going through in Oko prison will make you lose confidence in the Nigeria project.

    “The way people are treated in Oko prison even animals will not be treated that way. The kinds of food given to inmates are not worth it.”

    He added: “It is a bitter experience. I would rather not see this experience as a bad one because it provides me an enormous opportunity to do more work.

    “We are now going to expand our work to fight for more prison reform and police reform. It is now increasingly clear that in Edo State, public interest litigation process needs real focus by the civil society.”

    On the N5million awarded to him by the court, the activist said it will be put in public litigation programme.

    His words: “I have nothing to do with that money. I will use that money to support initiatives for setting innocent prisoners free. “Police will have to pay the money. They cannot go around it. The money will be the seed money we will use to establish the public litigation programme for prison and police reform campaign in Nigeria and we are starting from Edo State.”

    He described the late Olaitan as a fantastic friend, stating his family will be consoled only when the police fish out his killers.